If there was any hope of seeing a respectable remake of the 1959 Steve McQueen film The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery, that hope is perhaps now a little dimmer.  Adrien Brody, Jordana Brewster, and Akon are the latest names to join the cast of the now-in-production action thriller American Heist.

Already starring in the film is Hayden Christensen, who, along with Brody, will serve as an executive producer.  Still haunted by his Anakin Skywalker past, Christensen is a partner in the newly-formed production company Glacier Films.  American Heist is the first of a planned eleven movies over the next three years to be produced by the company.

Though The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery is not regarded as an essential work in Steve McQueen’s filmography, it is still a classic of the old-school heist genre.  The original was based an actual heist committed in 1953, and it is difficult to imagine the new film being faithful to the material with today’s casting news.  According to the producers, the film tells the story of two brothers with motley pasts, one struggling on the road to normalcy, the other just released from prison.  The heist tests the strength of their sibling bond and how far they will go for family.

This is the first Enligh-language film by Sarik Andreasyan.  He now has the responsibility of casting a mix-matched ensemble that includes an Oscar-winner (Brody), a Fast and the Furious star (Brewster), and hip hop recording artist (Akon).  Filming began today, June 24, in New Orleans.

Check out the the 1959 original on youtube.  The film is in the public domain and can be found in its entirety online.