The Wettest County is an upcoming film directed by John Hillcoat

John Hillcoat

John Hillcoat is an Australian screenwriter and film director.Hillcoat was born in Queensland, Australia, and was raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As a child, his paintings were featured in the Art Gallery of Hamilton. He has repeatedly worked with Nick Cave and also the band Depeche Mode...

 due to be released on 20th April

April

April is the fourth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and one of four months with a length of 30 days. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC...

 2012 and starring Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf

Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...

 and Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy

Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...

. The Nick Cave

Nick Cave

Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...

 screenplay is based on a novel of the same name by Matt Bondurant

Matt Bondurant

Matt Bondurant is a contemporary, prize-winning American writer and author of the books The Third Translation and The Wettest County in the World.Bondurant was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia...

.

Plot

Three brothers find their bootlegging

Rum-running

Rum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...

 business under threat in Prohibition

Prohibition

Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...

-era Franklin County, Virginia

Franklin County, Virginia

As of the census of 2000, there were 47,286 people, 18,963 households, and 13,918 families residing in the county. The population density was 68 people per square mile . There were 22,717 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...

. The story is based on Matt Bondurant's grandfather and great-uncles.

Production

Early in the project's development, Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf

Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...

 circled the role of Jack, Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Thomas Gosling is a Canadian actor and musician. He first came to public attention as a child star on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club and went on to appear in other family entertainment programmes including Are You Afraid of the Dark? , Goosebumps , Breaker High and Young Hercules...

 the role of Forrest, Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...

 that of Maggie, with Amy Adams

Amy Adams

Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...

 also courted. Its title was briefly changed to The Promised Land, before eventually reverting back to Wettest County. Although intended to begin shooting in February 2010, it was reported in January that the project had fallen apart as a result of financing problems.

The indie studio Sony Red Wagon Entertainment decided to pick up the project. In December 2010, it was reported that LaBeouf would remain on board and Tom Hardy

Tom Hardy

Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...

 would step in as Forrest. Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Jessica Chastain was born Jessica Howard in Northern California. She is one of five children. Her mother, Jerri, is a vegan chef, and her stepfather, Michael, is a firefighter. Chastain is also vegan herself. She took her...

, Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska

Mia Wasikowska is an Australian actress. After starting her career in Australian television and film, she first became known to a wider audience following her critically acclaimed work on the HBO television series In Treatment...

, Jason Clarke

Jason Clarke

Jason Clarke is a writer and web developer living in Orono, Maine.His first book, Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man, co-written with David T. Hardy, was released in June 2004 and spent six weeks on The New York Times Bestseller list for Hardcover Nonfiction...

, Dane DeHaan

Dane DeHaan

- Biography :DeHaan got his start in Broadway Theatre as the understudy for Haley Joel Osment in American Buffalo. He made his television debut in 2008 with a guest appearance on Law & Order Special Victims Unit. He made his feature film debut in John Sayles' Amigo and recently starred as Jesse in...

, Guy Pearce

Guy Pearce

Guy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...

, Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman

Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...

 and Randall Franks

Randall Franks

Randall Franks is an award-winning bluegrass singer and musician who plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar and mountain dulcimer. He was recognized by the International Bluegrass Music Museum in 2010 as a Bluegrass Legend; inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004; and was designated...

 also joined the cast. Filming began on February 28, 2011 in various locations near Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, including Newnan

Newnan, Georgia

Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 27,097 in 2006 and 33,293 in July 2008...

, LaGrange

LaGrange, Georgia

LaGrange is a city in Troup County, Georgia, United States. It is named after the country estate near Paris of the Marquis de La Fayette, who visited the area in 1825. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census...

, and Carroll County

Carroll County, Georgia

Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 87,268. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 111,954...

's McIntosh Park.

In March 2011, Momentum Pictures

Momentum Pictures

Momentum Pictures , an Alliance Films company, is one of the leading independent motion picture distributors in the UK and Ireland and releases approximately 20 theatrical films a year, with several stv releases....

 and its parent company Alliance Films

Alliance Films

Alliance Films is a major Canadian motion picture distribution/production company, which serves Canada, the United Kingdom, and Spain.-History:It was formed in 1984 by Stephen Roth, Denis Heroux, John Kemeny, Robert Lantos and Jay...

 acquired the U.K. and Canadian distribution rights. In May 2011, the Weinstein Company bought the U.S. distribution rights, with a wide release expected.

Cast

• Shia LaBeouf
  Shia LaBeouf
  Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
  
   as Jack Bondurant, the youngest of the three brothers.
• Tom Hardy
  Tom Hardy
  Edward Thomas "Tom" Hardy is an English actor. He is best known for playing the title character in the 2008 British film Bronson, the character of Eames in Inception, and the villain Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis...
  
   as Forrest Bondurant.
• Jason Clarke
  Jason Clarke (actor)
  Jason Clarke is an Australian actor.-Life and career:Clarke has made many television appearances, including Murder Call, Wildside, Home and Away, Blue Heelers, All Saints, Farscape, White Collar Blue and Stingers...
  
   as Howard Bondurant.
• Guy Pearce
  Guy Pearce
  Guy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...
  
   as Deputy Charley Rakes.
• Gary Oldman
  Gary Oldman
  Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
  
   as Floyd Banner, a gangster.
• Mia Wasikowska
  Mia Wasikowska
  Mia Wasikowska is an Australian actress. After starting her career in Australian television and film, she first became known to a wider audience following her critically acclaimed work on the HBO television series In Treatment...
  
   as Bertha Minnix, a Mennonite preacher's daughter who is the love interest of Jack.
• Jessica Chastain
  Jessica Chastain
  Jessica Chastain is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Jessica Chastain was born Jessica Howard in Northern California. She is one of five children. Her mother, Jerri, is a vegan chef, and her stepfather, Michael, is a firefighter. Chastain is also vegan herself. She took her...
  
   as Maggie, Forrest's love interest.
• Dane DeHaan
  Dane DeHaan
  - Biography :DeHaan got his start in Broadway Theatre as the understudy for Haley Joel Osment in American Buffalo. He made his television debut in 2008 with a guest appearance on Law & Order Special Victims Unit. He made his feature film debut in John Sayles' Amigo and recently starred as Jesse in...
  
   as Cricket, Jack's best friend.
• Randall Franks
  Randall Franks
  Randall Franks is an award-winning bluegrass singer and musician who plays fiddle, mandolin, guitar and mountain dulcimer. He was recognized by the International Bluegrass Music Museum in 2010 as a Bluegrass Legend; inducted into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004; and was designated...
  
  as leader of the Cornshuckers String Band that Bertha Minnix (Mia Wasikowska) performs with.