Saltburn star Richard E Grant and The Wire actor Dominic West are among the cast members set to star in an “outrageous” new period heist.
The film adaptation is based on the Murray Teigh Bloom novel The Man Who Stole Portugal, about one of the biggest financial frauds of the 20th century.
The comic period heist drama stars James Nelson Joyce, known for A Thousand Blows and This City Is Ours, as Alves Reis, a self-made outsider who – determined to give his family a better life – ends up forging his way to the boardrooms of the Bank of Portugal.
Directed by Jawbone filmmaker Thomas Napper, the film also stars Killing Eve actor Kim Bodnia, House Of Guinness’ Emily Fairn and The Worst Person In The World star Herbert Nordrum.
Napper said: “Alves Reis is fascinating because he doesn’t set out to destroy the system, he wants a way into it. He wants security, respect, and a future for his family.
“That feels very alive now, when so many people feel the odds are stacked against them.
“What makes the story so thrilling is watching an outsider learn how to open those doors, bluff by bluff, and for a while make the system work for him.
“It’s outrageous and funny, but it also speaks to something very current: who gets access, who gets shut out, and what people will do to cross that line.”
Bank Of Dave actor Joel Fry also stars in the film alongside Persuasian’s Nia Towle.
Production has already begun with the film shooting in UK, Portugal and South Africa as the story moves from the political turbulence of 1920s Lisbon to colonial Angola and the printing houses of London.
Producer Michael Elliott added: “The Man Who Stole Portugal gives audiences the thrill of a great heist movie, but with a true story so outrageous you can hardly believe it happened. It’s funny, stylish and full of momentum, with a character at its centre who is impossible not to watch.
“Thomas has a brilliant instinct for the human story inside the spectacle, and with this cast we think audiences are going to get a film that is hugely entertaining, surprising and has a real edge.”
