Jon Stewart will take a 12-week hiatus this summer from his job as host of "The Daily Show" to make his directorial debut.

Longtime "Daily Show" correspondent John Oliver will fill in for eight weeks of shows during the Jon Stewart hiatus, according to Deadline.

Stewart also wrote the screenplay for the film, entitled "Rosewater," based on the book "Then They Came For Me: A Family's Story Of Love, Captivity And Survival" by Iranian journalist, Maziar Bahari.

The autobiographical novel chronicles Bahari harrowing story of leaving London in 2009 to cover Iran's presidential elections.

According to the book, Bahari left his pregnant wife back at home, expecting to be away for a week. Instead, the journalist was imprisoned for 118 days in Iran's most infamous prison.

Bahari wrote the book, published in 2011, with Aimee Malloy.

Stewart has a personal stake in the story of the film. When Bahari was imprisoned, one of the things used against him was reportedly an interview Jon Stewart did with the journalist on "The Daily Show."

Following the incident, Stewart quietly optioned the book for a film through his company Busboy Productions.

In addition to hosting the beloved fake news program "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" since 1999, the host has acted in several features including 2002's "Death To Smoochy" and the 1998 film "Half Baked."

In 2008, Stewart hosted the Oscars.

Scott Rudin will produce the film that is causing Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" hiatus.

A longtime international free speech advocate, Stewart said last year that he wouldn't have any guest on the Daily Show that was in favor of censorship.

"Death for free speech is a deal breaker," Jon told ABC news.