Daniela Ruah is entering a new phase of her career, stepping behind the camera to direct her first feature film. The former NCIS: Los Angeles star is set to make her feature directing debut with Nowhere Boy, based on the young adult novel by Katherine Marsh.
The film centers on Ahmed, a teenage refugee who flees a conflict zone with his father, only to lose him during their dangerous journey to Europe. Alone in Brussels and stripped of the future he imagined, Ahmed finds shelter inside a house occupied by an American family. There, he forms an unexpected friendship with Max, a 13-year-old boy living upstairs—an encounter that begins to reshape his sense of hope and belonging.
The adaptation is being written by Anastasia Kousakis, who previously worked with Ruah on NCIS: Los Angeles. Producing the film is Matthew Baer, whose résumé includes the Oscar-nominated adaptation Unbroken. A production timeline has not yet been confirmed.
Nowhere Boy will be produced through Ruah’s company, Merkaba Films, which currently has several projects in active development. Ruah brings prior directing experience to the project, having directed multiple episodes during her 14-season tenure on NCIS: Los Angeles.