Annapurna Pictures has come aboard to co-produce and co-finance the upcoming noir Western The Sisters Brothers, which marks the English-language debut of A Prophet filmmaker Jacques Audiard. Based on the Patrick DeWitt novel of the same name, the film stars John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix as two bothers—Eli and Charlie Sisters—who are hired to kill a prospector who has stolen from their boss in 1851 Oregon. The film also marks a Nightcrawler reunion as Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed have supporting roles in what’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting films currently in development.

Having read DeWitt’s novel I can attest this is a perfect fit. The book has Coen Brothers overtones, and it's equal parts wistful and hilarious, with a biting darkness throughout. The scale is somewhat sweeping, with unforgettable characters and a strong emotional and thematic hook. If Audiard is able to capture even 60% of that from the book, we should be in for something interesting. Throw in this tremendous cast and Annapurna, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Filming on The Sisters Brothers begins this summer, and this marks yet another exciting move for Annapurna. Led by Megan Ellison, the studio first made a name for itself with films like The Master and Zero Dark Thirty, and has recently been branching out with projects like Sausage Party, Her, and Everybody Wants Some!!. The studio has now launched a distribution arm, kicking off with Kathryn Bigelow’s highly anticipated Detroit later this year, and they’re also behind Richard Linklater’s next film Where’d You Go Bernadette?