Eva Mendes, Josh Hartnett and Ben Kingsley will star in Jonathan Jakubowicz’s drug-trafficking drama “Queen of the South.”

Elizabeth Avellan and Sandra Condito will produce the adaptation of Spanish writer Arturo Perez-Reverte’s novel about a Mexican woman turned Spanish drug lord (Mendes) out to avenge her boyfriend’s murder. Hartnett plays a Marine who gets involved in her business, and Kingsley plays a Russian businessman.

The project, once set up at Warner Independent, is now being independently financed by Winchester Capital in conjunction with Origen PC and Plural Entertainment. Essential Entertainment is handling international sales.

The leads are repped by CAA; Mendes is additionally repped by Management 360.

Source: Hollywood Reporter