Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren have been cast in The Good Liar, a thriller set up at New Line Cinema to be adapted from Nicholas Searle’s debut novel and directed by Bill Condon. The pic reunites McKellen and Condon from their collaborations on Gods and Monsters and Mr. Holmes.

Jeffrey Hatcher wrote the script for Good Liar, about career con artist Roy Courtnay (McKellen), who can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Mirren) online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.

Greg Yolen and Condon are producing, and Jack Morrissey and BRON Creative’s Aaron L. Gilbert and Jason Cloth are executive producers.

New Line acquired rights to the book two years ago to win a bidding war, just after Searle’s debut novel was published in the U.S. by HarperCollins.