Downton Abbey Director Brian Percival Lands The Book Thief Film

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Director Brian Percival accepts the Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special award onstage during the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on September 18, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Photo: Kevin Winter/2011 Getty Images

Brian Percival, the director behind a slew of Downton Abbey episodes (including the very first, which he won an Emmy for), has been tapped to helm The Book Thief, an adaptation of Marcus Zusak’s young adult novel that’s been tearing up the New York Times best-seller lists since its 2006 publication. Set in World War II, “the story involves Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich who survives by stealing books. Aided by her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids,” Deadline writes. Sounds like material Percival can slay handily.

Downton Abbey Director Brian Percival Lands The Book Thief Film