Bale, Affleck, Zaldana, Shepard confirmed for cast of Out of the Furnace

The crime thriller OUT OF THE FURNACE has confirmed its main cast with Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, and now Sam Shepard starring in the film by Scott Cooper (CRAZY HEART).

“This is a meaty script with characters as strong as they are complex, and we needed powerhouse actors who complement the story.  Christian, Casey, Zoe, and Sam each approach everything they do with heart and conviction. We can’t wait to see what each of them brings to this film,” said Relativity Media’s Co-President, Tucker Tooley.

Bale will star as older brother Russell Baze in the film alongside Affleck who will play the role of younger brother Rodney Baze Jr. Saldana has also been cast as Bale’s love interest, Lena Warren, and Shepard will play Red, Russell and Rodney Baze’s uncle.

Here’s the synopsis:

The film is a drama about fate, circumstance, and redemption. Russell and his younger brother live in the economically depressed Rust Belt, and have always dreamed of escaping and finding better lives. But when a cruel twist of fate lands Russell in prison, his brother is lured into one of the most violent and ruthless crime rings in the Northeast – a mistake that will almost cost him everything.  Once released, Russell must choose between his own freedom, or risk it all to seek justice for his brother.

I enjoyed CRAZY HEART and felt that it had a lot of passion in the performances, as well as heavy atmosphere, which will be cool to see in a revenge flick.  And really, is there anything better than a really pissed off Christian Bale? 

Filming on OUT OF THE FURNACE begins this month in Pennsylvania.