Matthew Michael Carnahan to Direct ‘The Gatekeeper’ for Amazon MGM Studios and Di Bonaventura Pictures; Brian Helgeland to Adapt

Amazon MGM Studios and Di Bonaventura Pictures have put The Gatekeeper into development, assigning Matthew Michael Carnahan to direct the project and naming Brian Helgeland as the screenwriter for the adaptation, Deadline reported on July 6, 2026.

The film is based on James Byrne’s novel Deadlock and will be produced as The Gatekeeper for the companies’ planned release. The project is described as following Desmond “Dez” Aloysius Limerick, an unconventional, multi-talented ex-operative, with the story beginning with a chance meeting that becomes tied to saving a life.

Carnahan is credited in the report as the director attached to the feature. The Deadline item characterizes him as a “Mosul filmmaker,” linking him to Byrne’s Deadlock property and positioning the development for a major Hollywood studio pipeline through Amazon MGM Studios and Di Bonaventura Pictures.

Deadline’s report also frames the creative package through Helgeland’s adaptation role. Helgeland, noted in the announcement as adapting the material, is expected to translate the source novel’s plot premise and character focus for the movie version as the script moves forward in development.

Development status remains in its early stage, with the report not detailing a release date, casting, production start, or a finalized production schedule. It also does not list whether the companies have secured rights through a specific transaction structure beyond the project being “currently in development” for Amazon MGM Studios and Di Bonaventura Pictures.

In the near term, the key steps for the project will likely include finalizing the script draft with Helgeland’s adaptation and confirming production and financing arrangements across the involved production companies and distribution partners, before moving to casting and principal photography.

For industry watchers, the attachment of both a director and an established screen-adaptation talent suggests the studios intend to move beyond optioning or early development into a more structured pre-production process, though timelines and budgets are not provided in the announcement.