Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson and Ruth Negga are to star in the big-screen adaptation of Irish author Kevin Barry's bestseller Night Boat to Tangier.
US entertainment trade publication Deadline, which first reported the news, says the film will be directed by James Marsh, the director of the Oscar-winning The Theory of Everything and Man on Wire.
Barry has adapted his own book for the screen.
The synopsis reads: "Set in Spain and Ireland, Night Boat to Tangier follows Maurice and Charlie, a colourful pair of gangsters from Ireland.
"Drug-smugglers, partners with a long history of violence and intertwined personal lives, they're back in southern Spain re-visiting old haunts, old flames and dangerous local criminals, searching for Maurice's estranged daughter, Dilly..."
Fassbender is set to play Maurice, Gleeson will play Charlie and Negga will play their boss, Cynthia.
Director Marsh said: "Kevin's script is a beautiful piece of writing. Underneath the dazzling surface wit and propulsive storytelling, there are surprising and very moving emotional undercurrents to be discovered.
"The story is built around love and tenderness amidst all the macho posturing and violence and the female characters are as strong and powerful as the men. It's an incredibly exciting prospect."
Fassbender will also work as an executive producer on Night Boat to Tangier through his production company, DMC Films.
