Christian Bale, Casey Affleck to play brothers on film British actor Christian Bale poses during a photocall to promote the film "The...

Christian Bale, Casey Affleck to play brothers on film

British actor Christian Bale poses during a photocall to promote the film "The Flowers of War" at the 62nd Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin February 13, 2012. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

- Christian Bale and Casey Affleck are officially on board to star as brothers in the Rust Belt drama film "Out of the Furnace," Relativity Media said Thursday.

They will be joined by Zoe Saldana ("Avatar"), who will play Bale's love interest, and Sam Shepard, who will play the two leads' uncle.

In the film, Affleck is lured into a dangerous crime ring after his brother (Bale) is sent to prison. The film is set in an economically depressed section of the northeastern United States and will be directed by Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart").

Cooper also wrote the screenplay.

For Bale, who hangs up Batman's cape and cowl in this summer's "The Dark Knight Rises," the role represents a chance to play the kind of gritty character that won him an Oscar for "The Fighter."

For Affleck, it is an opportunity to turn the page on the critically lambasted faux-documentary "I'm Still Here" and remind audiences of the prodigious talent he demonstrated in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford."

Production on "Out of the Furnace" is set to begin in Braddock, Pa., later this month.

Relativity Media will release the film theatrically in the U.S. Red Granite, the Los Angeles-based film production, finance and international sales company, has acquired foreign rights and will handle international sales.

The film will be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Killoran's Appian Way, along with Scott Free's Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, and Michael Costigan. Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh is also a producer.

Bale and Affleck were both represented by WME in the deals. Saldana and Shepard were both represented by ICM in the deals.