Chris Evans is in talks to join pharmaceutical drama “Pain Hustlers” at Netflix, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.
Emily Blunt is attached to star. Details about Evans’ role is being kept under wraps.
David Yates is attached to direct the project, which Netflux acquired during Cannes in a $50 million global rights deal. The sale is the biggest out of Cannes so far this year.
Acclaimed short story and nonfiction writer Wells Tower (“Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned”) will be penning the script. The project — which is described as tonally similar to “The Big Short,” “American Hustle” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” — follows high school dropout Liza (Blunt), who has bigger ambitions for herself and her young daughter. She lands a job at an ailing pharmaceutical startup in Central Florida, where her charm and grit catapult her to the top and she soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly criminal conspiracy.
“‘Pain Hustlers’ is a hilarious, dramatic and wild journey to the corrupt heart of the American dream,” the official logline reads.
Lawrence Grey is producing the film through his Grey Matter Productions, alongside David Yates and Yvonne Walcott Yates’ Wychwood Pictures. Executive producers are Lewis Taylor and Ben Everard, with Cyrus Mojibi, Patrick Wade, Lawrence Kao and Lloyd Everard serving as co-producers.
Production on “Pain Hustlers” is set to begin Aug. 22.
The acquisition is a bright spot for Netflix, which has been hemorrhaging subscribers, leading to stock dips and massive layoffs.
Evans will next be seen starring opposite Ryan Gosling in “The Gray Man” also for Netflix. He recently wrapped production on “Ghosted” for Apple.
Evans is repped by 3 arts, CAA and attorney Jason Sloane.
Netflix and reps for Evans declined to comment.
Deadline first reported the news.