Although 20th Century Fox had set Paul Walker to headline a new big screen adaptation of the video game Hitman, the actor’s tragic death late last year put plans for the project into question. Today, it’s being reported that the film, which will be titled Agent 47, has set star Rupert Friend to play the title role. It was first reported by TheWrap that Friend was in talks and the deal was soon thereafter confirmed to have closed by The Hollywood Reporter.

The Square Enix title (previously from Eidos Interactive) was turned into the 2007 movie Hitman with Timothy Olyphant in the lead. The Xavier Gens-directed action thriller earned just under $100 million at worldwide theaters.

Although he’s best known for “Homeland,” Friend has appeared recently on the big screen in films like Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice, Jean-Marc Vallée’s The Young Victoria and Mark Herman’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Skip Woods, who wrote the first film, is also providing the script for Agent 47 with Michael Finch. Commercials director Aleksander Bach is attached to helm. Producers include Chuck Gordon, Alex Young and Adrian Askarieh. Daniel Alter will serve as executive producer.

(Photo Credit: Adriana M. Barraza /WENN.com)