Ben Stiller, Colin Farrell to Star in Andrew Haigh’s "Belly Of The Beast"

Ben Stiller and Colin Farrell are set to star in Andrew Haigh’s true crime story "Belly of the Beast".

Mk2 Films, UTA Independent Film Group, CAA Media Finance, and Village Roadshow Pictures board sales for a Cannes launch.

Rumors of their involvement in the project circulated at the beginning of the year and now the sales partners have unveiled the full details ahead of rolling out it to buyers in the South of France next week.

Bafta nominee Haigh will direct the pic, which he and Alexis Jolly adapted from Jerome Loving’s nonfiction book, "Jack and Norman: A State-Raised Convict" and the Legacy of Norman Mailer’s ‘The Executioner’s Song'."

The movie is the timely and true story of the unlikely friendship between notorious literary titan Norman Mailer (Stiller) and his protégé, Jack Henry Abbott (Farrell).

Bolstered by Mailer’s mentorship, Abbott is paroled after nearly a decade in prison; he gains instant popularity among the literary elite but struggles with life on the outside. When Mailer, creatively frustrated and envious of Jack’s rising star, turns his back on his infamous protégé, Jack spirals – committing an unforgivable act of violence in a New York City diner just six weeks after his release.

Colin and Claudine Farrell through their Chapel Place banner, and Alison Rosenzweig and Michael Gaeta will produce the pic developed and produced by Village Roadshow Pictures (VRP). Jillian Apfelbaum, Tristen Tuckfield, and Nic Gordon will executive produce for VRP.

Mk2 Films is handling international rights, with UTA Independent Film Group, CAA Media Finance, and Village Roadshow Pictures handling North American rights.

Stiller recently wrapped production on David Gordon Green’s independent feature "Nutcrackers" while his more than 130 actor credits include Noah Baumbach’s "The Meyerowitz Stories", Wes Anderson’s "The Royal Tenenbaums", David O. Russell’s "Flirting with Disaster" as well as starring roles in his directorial efforts "Reality Bites", "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", "Tropic Thunder", and "Zoolander".

Farrell was last seen in "The Banshees of Inisherin", in which he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and earned Academy Award, BAFTA and SAG nominations. 

He is currently reuniting with director Kogonada in "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey" opposite Margot Robbie. This summer he will shoot Edward Berger’s "Ballad of a Small Player" opposite Tilda Swinton.