Abrams producing diamond heist drama

J.J. Abrams has signed up to produce a movie about Italian diamond thieves, says Variety.

Based on a Wired magazine article by Joshua Davis titled 'The Untold Story Of The World's Biggest Diamond Heist', the movie will follow the exploits of Leonardo Notarbartolo, who led a group of Italian criminals on an impossible robbery.

Notarbartolo masterminded the theft of $100 million from the tightly-guarded Antwerp Diamond Centre. The money was never found and Notarbartolo was arrested in 2003 and sentenced to 10 years. He will be released from prison this week.

Abrams's Bad Robot production company, which is housed at Paramount, will release Star Trek on May 8 and begin production on the Harrison Ford comedy Morning Glory this summer.