Emma Watson joined by Leslie Mann in Sofia Coppola’s ‘Bling Ring’

Emma Watson has been joined by Leslie Mann on the cast list for Sofia Coppola’s next flick, The Bling Ring.

The film tells the true tale of a gang of teenagers who pursue their desire for fame and fortune by stealing from the rich and famous in Beverly Hills. While Watson will play the gang’s leader, 39-year-old comedienne Mann will play the mother to two of the eponymous scallywags.

The pair will be joined on set by relative newcomer Israel Broussard, who is expected to play the male lead opposite Watson’s character. Coppola, meanwhile, is covering writing, producing, and directing duties, a trick she last pulled off (with wonderful flair) on the Oscar-winning Lost in Translation.

There are new faces aplenty in the film, with Katie Chang, Georgia Rock and Claire Pfister all making their big screen debut – they complete the teenage gang with American Horror Story‘s Taissa Farmiga. This group of untried performers is balanced by the presence of the more experienced Mann in The Bling Ring.

Of course, even Mann could be viewed as a risk of sorts. Primarily known as a comedy performer (she recently finished work on a Knocked Up spin-off; insert your own ‘Knocked Up is comedy?’ gag here), she’s fairly new to serious roles. Unless, of course, The Bling Ring has a comedic slant – the subject matter suggests it could actually be Coppola’s first few steps into funny films.

A Sofia Coppola-directed comedy, then (maybe) – does that appeal to you, readers?