Bryce Dallas Howard is joining Matthew McConaughey in the Stephen Gaghan film

Black Bear Pictures and HWY 61 announced today that Golden Globe nominee Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World, The Help) is joining the production of the mining drama Gold as its female lead. The film, which is being directed by Academy Award winner Stephen Gaghan (Syriana, Traffic), is just past the midway point of principal photography. It is being produced by Teddy Schwarzman (The Imitation Game, All is Lost) for Black Bear Pictures and Michael Nozik (Syriana, The Motorcycle Diaries) for HWY61.

Bryce Dallas Howard joins Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar), Golden Globe nominee Edgar Ramirez (Carlos, The Bourne Ultimatum), Corey Stoll (Ant-Man, “House of Cards”), Toby Kebbell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, RocknRolla), Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek, Capote) and Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (American History X, Nebraska).

Gold tells the story of Kenny Wells (McConaughey), a modern-day prospector, hustler, and dreamer, desperate for a lucky break. Left with few options, Wells teams up with an equally luckless geologist (Edgar Ramirez) to execute a grandiose, last-ditch effort: to find gold deep in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Howard will play Kay, the longtime girlfriend of McConaughey’s character, who has supported him through thick or thin, but whose capacity and loyalty are tested as the hunt for gold pushes their relationship to its breaking point.

The screenplay for Gold was written by Patrick Massett & John Zinman (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, “Friday Night Lights”), who are also serving as producers along with McConaughey. Executive producers are Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby), Ben Stillman, and Richard Middleton (The Artist, I Love You Phillip Morris). Key members of the production team include director of photography Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood), production designer Maria Djurkovic (The Imitation Game), and costume designer Danny Glicker (Milk).

Gold will be distributed in the United States by TWC-Dimension and Sierra/Affinity is handling international sales for the film.

The film began production in Thailand and is currently shooting in New Mexico. It will wrap in New York in early October.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)