Arthur Sarkissian, who served as a producer for the Rush Hour trilogy, is now developing a WWII era spy film. According to Variety, Sarkissian optioned Lisa Barr’s novel Fugitive Colors, which, similar to George Clooney’s film The Monuments Men, features a protagonist who is dedicated to preserving art during a turbulent period in history.

In Barr’s novel, a young American artist named Julian Klein travels to Paris for the artistic freedom in the 1930’s. When the war breaks out, Klein becomes a spy who fights to save the “degenerate” art the Nazis are bent on destroying.

Sarkissian is primarily known for producing screwball comedic films (Rush Hour trilogy, While You Were Sleeping), however Fugitive Colors will require a different approach. The danger and intrigue of the story, combined with the motifs of love and betrayal will provide the producer with a tonal departure from his previous projects.

While the film is a long way from production, you can check out Barr’s novel on Amazon.