Jennifer Lawrence and David O Russell reunite for 'Abscam' conman movie

Jennifer Lawrence will reunite with her Silver Linings Playbook director David O Russell on the latter's forthcoming conman drama about the Abscam sting operation run by the FBI in the late 1970s.

Lawrence, who is Oscar-nominated for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, joins a stellar cast for Russell's movie, including Playbook co-star Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale and Amy Adams (both of whom worked with Russell on The Fighter), and Jeremy Renner.

Originally titled American Bullshit, the film is based on real-life events that saw the FBI use a known con artist called Melvin Weinberg to pose as an Arab businessman, Kambir Abdul Rahman, and expose corruption of public officials. Russell's movie is not a direct replication of events, but will see Bale play a conman working with an "out-of-control federal agent" (played by Cooper). Adams is to play Bale's girlfriend, while Lawrence will play his wife.

The film is shortly to commence shooting, but will not mark Lawrence's first acting reunion with Cooper – they both starred in Susanne Bier's Serena, based on Ron Rash's novel about the depression-era timber wars in North Carolina, due for release in autumn 2013.

This article was written by Andrew Pulver, for guardian.co.uk on Monday 18th February 2013 12.12 Europe/London