Lakeshore Entertainment has signed Brazilian director Heitor Dhalia to direct the spy thriller April 23.

Lakeshore CEO Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi are producing with Jeffrey Silver and Hanna Weg, who adapted the screenplay from Erje Ayden’s novel Sadness At Leaving: An Espionage Romance.

The story centres on a deep cover KGB agent who develops deep ties with American life and feels conflicted when he is finally called upon to assassinate a defector.

Dhalia previously directed Adrift (A Deriva) which played in Un Certain Regard in Cannes this year, as well as Drained (O Cheiro Do Ralo) and Nina.

“Heitor is one of the brightest film-makers emerging from South America and is on the verge of a worldwide breakout,” Rosenberg said. “We are very pleased to have him directing this film.”