Production Begins on Shintaro Shimosawa's Beyond Deceit Starring Josh Duhamel, Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins, Lionsgate Buys North American Distribution Rights

The legal thriller Beyond Deceit has started shooting in New Orleans. Principal photography began last week and is expected to continue until April 17.

Shintaro Shimosawa is directing the project based on his own rewrite of a script that was previously penned by Adam Mason and Simon Boyes which tells the story of an ambitious young lawyer who takes on a big case against a ruthless executive of a pharmaceutical company, only to find himself drawn into a murder case in which he is the prime suspect. Shimosawa's previous credits include being a co-producer on The Grudge horror movies as well as a writer and producer on such TV thrillers as The Ringer, The Following, and Intelligence.

Beyond Deceit stars Josh Duhamel, Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Alice Eve, Malin Akerman, Alice Eve, and Byung-hun Lee. The supporting cast includes Glen Powell, Gregory Allan Williams, Jason Gibson, Ben Sinclair, Leah McKendrick, Rio Hackford, Jaden Kaine, Sky P. Marshall, and Nicholas X. Parsons.

Duhamel, best remembered for co-starring in the first three of the Transformers films in the franchise series, now plays the part of the ambitious young lawyer who will be taking on the big pharmaceutical company. Pacino plays the head of the law firm and who is also Duhamel's character's mentor.  Eve is cast as Duhamel's character's wife while Akerman plays Duhamel's character's ex-girlfriend who mysteriously returns into his life.

Hopkins portrays the ruthless big pharma executive who will be the movie's main antagonist, with Lee acting as the hired hit man.

Beyond Deceit is being produced by Ellen S. Wander with William DeLaney co-producing and Scott Willmann serving as the line producer. Barry Brooker, Stan Wertlieb and Chris Brown are the executive producers, and Ryan Black is the co-executive producer.

The North American distribution rights to Beyond Deceit has just been acquired by Lionsgate according to The Hollywood Reporter. Release plans have not yet been revealed, but a potential first-quarter 2016 opening is reportedly being eyed.