Russell Crowe, Rami Malek and Michael Shannon are set to lead upcoming  historical drama Nuremberg, directed by filmmaker James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, Scream VI).

Set in post-war Germany, the film charts the shockwaves of trauma left in the wake of the Nazi regime, following Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), the American psychiatrist tasked with deciding whether Nazi prisoners were fit to stand trial for their war crimes. Spiralling into a "complex battle of wits" with Herman Göring — one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi party, and Hitler's closest associate — using his professional expertise, Kelley must persevere in the face of evil to pursue justice.

Having recently appeared as Dr. Hill in Christopher Nolan's 2023 historical epic, Oppenheimer, Rami Malek received an Academy Award in 2019 for his role as Freddie Mercury in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Likewise, Russell Crowe earned an Oscar for Best Actor in 2000 for his performance as Maximus in Gladiator.

Russell Crowe at Indoor Garden Party 2023. Twitter/russellcrowe

Most recently seen in Thor: Love and Thunder and Sony’s supernatural horror The Pope’s Exorcist, Crowe is set to star in Marvel’s Kraven the Hunter, action thriller Land of Bad and the crime thriller Sleeping Dogs. 

American actor Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals, Revolutionary Road) will also star in the upcoming historical drama, as supreme court justice Robert H. Jackson, the Chief Prosecutor of the Nuremberg trials.

With a history of working on biographical films, James Vanderbilt's previous credits include his 2015 directorial debut, American political drama Truth, and the screenplay for David Fincher's Zodiac (2007). Vanderbilt adapted the screenplay from Jack El-Hai's 2014 book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.

“What an absolute honour it is to be working with such a tremendously talented group of actors … I cannot wait to bring this amazing true story to the screen," the director said of the newly announced film.

Filming for Nuremberg is set to kick off in Hungary, February 2024.