Barry Keoghan, Jared Abrahamson, Blake Jenner, Ann Dowd, and Udo Kier have joined the cast of AMERICAN ANIMALS alongside Evan Peters who was previously announced.

The heist film is written and will be directed by Bart Layton. Co-financed and developed by Film4 and AI Film, the film, which is based on a true story, is a Raw production, produced by Katherine Butler, Dimitri Doganis, Derrin Schlesinger and Mary Jane Skalski. Executive Producers of the project are Aviv Giladi and Len Blavatnik via the AI Film banner; David Kosse; Film4’s Sam Lavender and Daniel Battsek; and Tory Metzger via the Lava Bear Films banner. Principal photography of the film is slated to begin this year in the US. Sierra/Affinity is handling international sales of the project.

The unbelievable but mostly true story of four young men who mistook their lives for a movie and attempted one of the most audacious heists in US history; AMERICAN ANIMALS takes the thrill of the heist genre and turns it inside out, blurring the line between truth and fiction in a wild story of money, movies and the search for meaning.

Keoghan plays one of the young leads opposite Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy in Christopher Nolan’s DUNKIRK to be released by Warner Bros in July 2017.  Also for release in 2017 is Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER, which he stars in alongside Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.  Keoghan was one of the breakout stars of Sundance 2016 for his performance in Rebecca Daly’s MAMMAL opposite Rachel Griffiths, and he was named one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow in 2015 following roles in ’71 and NORFOLK.

Abrahamson was one of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Rising Stars of 2016 and is nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his breakthrough performance in HELLO DESTROYER. He was recently seen in DETOUR with Tye Sheridan and Bel Powley and wrapped SWEET VIRGINIA with Jon Bernthal and Christopher Abbot earlier this year.

Jenner was the lead in Richard Linklater’s EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!, and was most recently seen in the critically-acclaimed THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN opposite Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson. Next, audiences will see him star alongside Logan Lerman in SIDNEY HALL which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Jan 2017.

Dowd’s long list of film credits include her award-winning performance as Sandra in Craig Zobel’s COMPLIANCE. Amongst her many roles, she has most recently appeared in OUR BRAND IS CRISIS, ST. VINCENT, SIDE EFFECTS, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, GIMME SHELTER, and THE DROP.

Udo Kier has over 200 film credits and is legendary for his work with notorious cult directors including Fassbinder, Gus Van Sant, Dario Argento (whose classic SUSPIRIA he starred in), Walerian Borowczyk, and Lars von Trier.