Rob Cohen has signed on to helm SCARED STRAIGHT, a prison thriller for New Line Cinema, says The Hollywood Reporter. Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson are producing through their Contrafilm banner.

SCARED STRAIGHT centers on a governor's teenage son who is sent to prison as part of Scared Straight, a crime-prevention program that imprisons delinquent teens for a short period in the hopes of deterring them from a life of crime. While the teenager is there, a riot breaks out and the prisoners take him hostage. He teams with other street kids and a con to stop the riot.

"After the success of 'Prison Break,' there is revival of interest in the genre," Cohen said in an interview. "It's going to be a genre movie with depth, and the depth will come from the character."