Are you after a twisty period heist drama to look forward to? The star-studded cast has been announced for The Man Who Stole Portugal – and it sounds truly unmissable.

Starring Downton Abbey‘s Dominic West and This City is Ours actor James Nelson Joyce, the dark comedy is inspired by Murray Teigh Bloom’s 1953 true crime book, which told the story of Artur Virgilio Alves Reis, one of the most “audacious” financial frauds of the 20th century.

James Nelson Joyce as Michael Kavanagh in This City is Ours© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Left Bank Pictures/James Stack
James Nelson Joyce leads the new movie

Directed by BAFTA-nominated Thomas Napper (Jawbone, Widow Clicquot), the film is set between 1920s Lisbon, colonial Angola and the elite printing houses of London.

Filming will commence in the UK, Portugal and South Africa and will see James Nelson Joyce in his first leading movie role as the titular Alves Reis. Intrigued? Keep reading for everything you need to know about The Man Who Stole Portugal…

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What to expect from The Man Who Stole Portugal

The story centres around Alves Reis, a self-made hustler on the outskirts of society with an uncanny ability to seize opportunities from seemingly unworkable circumstances.

The synopsis reads: “Shut out and underestimated, he is determined to give his wife Maria and their family the life they deserve and, hustle by hustle, he begins to invent his way upwards.

woman dressed in black © Ben Blackall/Netflix
Emily Fairn (House of Guinness) will play Maria

“From forged credentials to official contracts, his journey takes him via colonial backwaters all the way to the boardrooms of the Bank of Portugal – until his greatest bluff becomes one of the greatest cons in history.”

Who stars in The Man Who Stole Portugal?

James Nelson Joyce (This City is Ours, A Thousand Blows) leads the film as Alves, while Emily Fairn (House of Guinness, The Responder) plays his wife, Maria.

They’re joined by Dominic West (The Crown, Downton Abbey), Richard E. Grant (Saltburn, Can You Ever Forgive Me) and Joel Fry (Bank of Dave, Our Flag Means Death).

Mr Bennet (RICHARD E GRANT)© BBC/Bad Wolf/James Pardon
Richard E Grant (The Other Bennet Sister) will also star

Rounding out the cast are Herbert Nordrum (The Worst Person in The World, The Royal Hotel), Kim Bodnia (F1, Killing Eve) and Nia Towle (Rings of Power, Persuasion).

What have the creators said about The Man Who Stole Portugal?

Speaking about the film, director Thomas Napper said: “Alves Reis is fascinating because he doesn’t set out to destroy the system, he wants a way into it. He wants security, respect, and a future for his family.

“That feels very alive now, when so many people feel the odds are stacked against them. What makes the story so thrilling is watching an outsider learn how to open those doors, bluff by bluff, and for a while make the system work for him.

Dominic West's role is unnamed at the moment© Getty Images
Dominic West’s role is unnamed at the moment

“It’s outrageous and funny, but it also speaks to something very current: who gets access, who gets shut out, and what people will do to cross that line.”

Meanwhile, producer Michael Elliott added: “‘The Man Who Stole Portugal’ gives audiences the thrill of a great heist movie, but with a true story so outrageous you can hardly believe it happened.

‘It’s funny, stylish and full of momentum, with a character at its centre who is impossible not to watch. Thomas has a brilliant instinct for the human story inside the spectacle, and with this cast, we think audiences are going to get a film that is hugely entertaining, surprising and has a real edge.”

Production for The Man Who Stole Portugal is currently underway, with a release date due to be announced in due course.