Armenian filmmaker Sarik Andreasyan may not be well known to American audiences, but three films that he directed, wrote and produced — “The Pregnant," “Moms," and “That Was The Men’s World” — were certifiable hits in the Russian Box Office. Now, he’s making his U.S. feature film directorial debut with the crime thriller “American Heist," starring Adrien Brody, Hayden Christensen, Jordana Brewster, and Akon.
The film is based on the black & white Steve McQueen vehicle “The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery" and updates the plot of the 1950s Missouri-set heist film to modern-day New Orleans. The story follows Frankie Caley (Brody), an ex-con who took the rap for a crime he committed with his younger brother, James (Christensen) – who works hard to start a new life with a new job and a girlfriend (Brewster) while Frankie is incarcerated, serving time. Upon his release, and because he is broke and has nowhere else to go, Frankie turns to an underworld contact (Akon) and eventually persuades James to go on one big, final heist that will change their lives forever.
Check out a new U.S. trailer below along with a clip. The film hits iTunes on June 19th and opens in theaters on July 24th.