Chris Evans has joined the cast of “Pain Hustlers,” teaming up with Emily Blunt in the upcoming Netflix production. The package was the hottest sale at this year’s Cannes market, commanding a price tag in excess of $50 million. In addition to Blunt, the movie was a desirable property because it is directed by David Yates, who oversaw the bulk of the hugely popular Harry Potter films as well as (less successfully) the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise.
The movie’s official logline reads: “Dreaming of a better life for her and her young daughter, Liza Drake (Blunt), a high-school dropout, lands a job with a failing pharmaceutical start-up in a yellowing strip mall in Central Florida. Liza’s charm, guts and drive catapult the company and her into the high life, where she soon finds herself at the center of a criminal conspiracy with deadly consequences.” Tonally, it’s said to be in the spirit of “American Hustle” and “The Big Short” in its look at the American dream turned acrid… which no one can relate to these days.
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Netflix declined to comment on Evans’ casting.
Evans is best known for his work as Captain America in the MCU (fun fact: Blunt was originally cast as Cap BFF Black Widow, but had to drop out to fulfill her contractural obligations to the masterpiece that was 2010’s “Gulliver’s Travels”). As for Evans, he can next be seen doing battle with Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas in “The Gray Man,” which will start streaming this month on — wait for it — Netflix.
Evans is represented by 3 Arts, CAA and attorney Jason Sloane. Deadline first reported that Evans had joined the “Pain Hustlers” posse.
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