The actress will be joining Ghost In The Shell director Rupert Sanders on the new film based on the true story of underworld figure Jean Marie Gill.

Hollywood heavyweight Scarlett Johansson is due to begin filming the suggestively-titled crime/drama ‘Rub & Tug’ in February 2019, which follows the story of massage-parlour owner Jean Marie Gill. The script to the film was subject to a massive bidding war between five major studios with New Regency eventually winning the battle.

Johansson will play the role of Jean Marie Gill who rose to become a criminal kingpin in Pittsburgh through her owning of illicit parlours and warring with the mob. Notably, she was also behind the anabolic steroids ring that attributed to to rise of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970’s. Gill achieved all of this while dressing and identifying as a man, and while the criminal aspect of the story seem the likely path, the film is said to focus largely on Gill’s relationship with her girlfriend Cynthia Bruno which will be the “emotional core.”

There’s no release date yet, though with so many studios keen to land the script we predict Rub & Tug will be one of the big ones of 2019. Stay tuned.