Set to make his return to live-action features this fall with Flight, director Robert Zemeckis has just signed on to direct the similarly-titled Taking Flight at 20th Century Fox. The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Zemeckis plans to direct the true tale of the infamous 19-year-old outlaw Colton Harris-Moore, nicknamed "The Barefoot Bandit."

Based on the book proposal "Taking Flight: The Hunt for a Young Outlaw" by Bob Friel, the story centers on the teenager who's stolen cars, boats and planes and taught himself how to fly in order to evade local police, Homeland Security and the FBI. He also burglarized at least 100 private residences.

On July 4, Harris-Moore allegedly fled in a plane stolen from Indiana and crashed on the shoreline of a Bahamian island. He was indicted July 6 by a U.S. Federal Court in Seattle on charges of transporting another stolen aircraft in that state. He was arrested July 11 in Harbour Island, Bahamas, as he attempted to flee on a boat.

Harris-Moore became known as the "Barefoot Bandit" or "Barefoot Burglar" by reportedly committing some of his crimes barefoot.

David Gordon Green was formerly attached to the project as a director.

(Photo Credit: Nikki Nelson / WENN.com)