Who’s the first actress to join Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Barry Keoghan in Amazon MGM‘s upcoming crime pick “Crime 101“? Deadline reports Halle Berry is in final talks to star opposite that trio in Bart Layton‘s much-anticipated “American Animals” follow-up. No details on who Berry would play in the pic, but Berry is a good pick-up for Layton, who aims to make a splash with “Crime 101” when it hits theaters next year.
Based on a Don Winslow short story, the crime thriller follows a grizzled detective in search of a master thief he thinks is behind a string of jewelry heists up and down the Pacific Coast. Police link the robberies to a Colombian cartel, but Detective Lou Lubesnick strikes out to chase his hunch before the thief completes his final score. Production on “Crime 101” begins next month.
Along with directing, Layton adapts Winslow’s story for the big screen, with contribution from Peter Straughan. Producers on the film include Shane Salerno through Shout Factory, Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan through Working Title, and Layton through RAW, and Dmitiri Doganis and Derrin Schlesinger. Joely Fether will serve as executive producer through RAW. Hemsworth will also produce “Crime 101” with his regular production partner Ben Grayson.
Recent projects for Berry include Alexandra Aja‘s horror pic “Never Let Go,” and the action flick “The Union,” also from this year. Other credits for the actress over the past couple of years include “Moonfall” and “Bruised.” If she’s cast, “Crime 101” is a great pick for the Oscar-winner Berry: a buzzy director and three male co-leads with A-List status (Hemsworth and Ruffalo) or getting there (Keoghan).
As noted earlier, Amazon MGM plans to have “Crime 101” in theaters sometime next year. Stay tuned for an official release date in the coming months.