Scott Frank, screenwriter on such films as "Out of Sight," "Minority Report," and "The Interpreter," will make his directorial debut on the dramatic thriller "The Lookout." (Which, not surprisingly, he already wrote.) Variety reports that the Disney-based project will be a relatively low-budget affair, and that it will also star a rather unlikely leading man.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, best known for his work on the sitcom "Third Rock from the Sun," will play "a mentally impaired former athlete who works as a janitor at a bank and gets sucked into a heist."

The writer-director was impressed with Levitt's work on the indie circuit: ""I had no idea he was the kid from '3rd Rock' until later, but as soon as I met him, I knew ... I'd found someone who would make it better than it was on the page."

Disney and Spyglass Entertainment hope to get some familiar faces to populate the background, but Mr. Frank is entirely sold on Gordon-Levitt's potential, and it's always great to see a filmmaker opt for talent over stardom.