The 'Sharp Objects' and 'Big Little Lies' helmer will reteam with HBO for the series based on a memoir by Zack McDermott.

Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects director Jean-Marc Vallee is ending his self-imposed break from helming with another HBO limited series project.

The Emmy and DGA Award winner and Oscar nominee will direct Gorilla and the Bird, a limited series based on a memoir by Zack McDermott. He also will be an executive producer.

At the Vancouver Film Festival in October, Vallee told The Hollywood Reporter he was taking some time off to "recharge my batteries and get my life back" after doing Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects back-to-back. Gorilla and the Bird will see Vallee back behind the camera for HBO when it goes into production.

The limited series follows Zack, a public defender with the Legal Aid Society of New York who suffers a sudden psychotic break that takes him on a harrowing journey of delusions and antisocial behavior, resulting in his arrest and commitment to Bellevue. As he fights to regain his sanity, Zack (the Gorilla) turns to the only person who didn't give up on him — his mother, (the Bird).

Gorilla and the Bird is a co-production between HBO and Big Beach (Vida, Sorry for Your Loss). In addition to Vallee and his Crazyrose partner Nathan Rose, executive producers include writer and showrunner Bryan Sipe (Demolition, The Choice), Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan and Big Beach's Robin Schwartz, Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf. McDermott is a co-exec producer.

Vallee is repped by attorney David Weber of Sloane Offer.