James Nelson Joyce, Richard E. Grant and Dominic West to Star in Dark Comedy ‘The Man Who Stole Portugal’

Principal photography has begun on “The Man Who Stole Portugal,” a darkly comic period heist inspired by one of the most audacious financial frauds of the 20th century.

Directed by BAFTA nominee Thomas Napper (“Jawbone,” “Widow Clicquot”), the script is by Richard Galazka, inspired by the titular true crime book by Murray Teigh Bloom.

In his first film lead role, BAFTA nominee James Nelson Joyce (“This City is Ours,” “A Thousand Blows”) plays Alves Reis, a self-made outsider with a genius for turning a closed door into an opportunity. Shut out and underestimated, he’s is determined to give his wife Maria (Emily Fairn, “House of Guinness,” “The Responder”) and their family the life they deserve and, hustle by hustle, he begins to invent his way upwards. From forged credentials to official contracts, his journey takes him via colonial backwaters all the way to the boardrooms of the Bank of Portugal — until his greatest bluff becomes one of the greatest cons in history.

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Alongside Joyce and Fairn, the cast also includes Joel Fry (“Bank of Dave,” “Our Flag Means Death”), Herbert Nordrum (“The Worst Person in The World,” “The Royal Hotel”), Kim Bodnia (“F1,” “Killing Eve”), Nia Towle (“Rings of Power,” “Persuasion”), Richard E. Grant (“Saltburn,” “Can You Ever Forgive Me”) and Dominic West (“The Crown,” “The Wire”).

Michael Elliott (“A Long Winter,” “Small Axe,” “Benediction”) produces for EMU Films, with Walli Ullah and Jim Mooney as executive producers. Terry Smith is Executive Producer and also finances via Moviedrome.

The production will shoot in the U.K., Portugal and South Africa as the story’s sweep moves from the glamour and political turbulence of 1920s Lisbon to colonial Angola and the elite printing houses of London.

“Alves Reis is fascinating because he doesn’t set out to destroy the system, he wants a way into it. He wants security, respect, and a future for his family,” said Napper. “That feels very alive now, when so many people feel the odds are stacked against them. What makes the story so thrilling is watching an outsider learn how to open those doors, bluff by bluff, and for a while make the system work for him. It’s outrageous and funny, but it also speaks to something very current: who gets access, who gets shut out, and what people will do to cross that line.”

Added Elliott: “’The Man Who Stole Portugal’ gives audiences the thrill of a great heist movie, but with a true story so outrageous you can hardly believe it happened. It’s funny, stylish and full of momentum, with a character at its centre who is impossible not to watch. Thomas has a brilliant instinct for the human story inside the spectacle, and with this cast we think audiences are going to get a film that is hugely entertaining, surprising and has a real edge.”

Beta Cinema is handling world sales and will launch the project to international buyers at the upcoming Marché du Film in Cannes.

“’The Man Who Stole Portugal’ is the tale of a criminal genius who realised that forging a contract to print banknotes was infinitely easier than forging the notes themselves,” said executive producer Smith. “It’s also remarkably prescient – the shockwaves it sent through the Portuguese economy, and the political collapse that followed, find strong echoes in the money printing by central banks during the 2008–09 financial crisis and COVID.”