The upcoming film "Fruitcake" has found its stars.

Laura Dern and Will Ferrell have boarded the Max Winkler-helmed film, Deadline reports. They'll play a couple that achieves the American dream through shady means. The project's title comes from an item on the menu at a bakery central to the story.

The script was written by Trey Selman and it's based on a true story. The film follows Sandy (Ferrell) and Kay (Dern) Jenkins, a middle-class couple that seemed to be upstanding citizens. However, Sandy, an accountant, embezzled $17 million from Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas.

Selman, a Texas native, wrote the script on spec, and it earned a spot on Hollywood's Black List, an annual survey of "most liked" screenplays that haven't been produced. That reportedly helped it end up in the hands of Winkler and Dern. The director called Selman's writing (via Deadline) "original and dynamic and unlike anything [he'd] read before."

Winkler also noted that Dern and Ferrell are two of his favorite working actors. Dern is a four-time Golden Globe winner and one-time Emmy winner. She currently stars in HBO's hit series "Big Little Lies" and has also appeared in films like "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," "The Fault in Our Stars," and "Wild." Meanwhile, Ferrell resume includes roles in "Holmes & Watson," "Daddy's Home," and "Elf," among others.

Dern is producing "Fruitcake" with Jordan Horowitz, Jayme Lemons, Adam Kolbrenner, and Red Sanders. The film is being financed by Eclipse Pictures, with Benedict Carver and Daniel Diamond executive producing alongside Bob McNutt, the president and CEO of Collin Street.

[via: Deadline]