Writer-director Rian Johnson has cast Oscar winner Rachel Weisz in "The Brothers Bloom," an international con man adventure that will be Johnson's follow-up to 2005's teen film noir "Brick."

The project was announced Tuesday by producers Ram Bergman and Endgame Entertainment's Jim Stern.

Endgame has raised equity financing for the film, budgeted at more than $20 million and scheduled to start production in February. The shoot will cover 12 countries in Europe, Scandinavia and Asia. Johnson is scouting locations in Europe.

Weisz, who won a supporting actress Oscar for "The Constant Gardener," stars in "Brothers" as a mysterious millionaire who turns the tables on a veteran team of con men who take on one last job after the younger brother threatens to quit the family business.

"Brothers" reunites Bergman and Johnson, who teamed on the critically hailed rookie feature "Brick," which won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was released by Focus Features.

USC grad Johnson was wooed by the studios but preferred to remain independent, Bergman said. The writer-director has been prepping two original scripts and completed "Brothers" first. "As long as he can generate his own material, he's not looking at anything else" Bergman said. "Financing is not an issue. It came very quickly. Endgame will be a good partner; they understand what it takes to make a movie."

Stern compared "Brothers" to "a great con artist film such as 'The Sting.' " Bergman, who hopes to bring the movie to Cannes in 2008, added, "This is a big, fun commercial movie, but it's pretty original."

The two thirtysomething American male leads have yet to be cast. In advance of the American Film Market, the filmmakers have brought in the Weinstein Co. to handle international sales for the film; CAA will sell domestic distribution rights. Wendy Japhet, Endgame's new president of production, is the executive producer.

Weisz next stars opposite Hugh Jackman in Darren Aronofsky's "The Fountain," due in theaters Nov. 22. She recently wrapped production on Wong Kar Wai's "My Blueberry Nights" and is shooting Working Title's "Definitely Maybe," written and directed by Adam Brooks. She begins production in December on Noam Morro's "Smart People" opposite Dennis Quaid.

Weisz is represented by CAA, the Firm and lawyer Howard Fishman at Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof & Fishman. Johnson and Bergman are repped by Brian Dreyfuss at Featured Artists Agency and lawyer Stephen Clark at Lichter, Grossman, Nichols & Adler.