Los Angeles – Andrew Garfield will star with Jennifer Garner in Back Roads.
The 27-year-old actor will take the lead role in the film adaptation of Tawni O'Dell's bestselling novel as a young man who is forced to care for his three younger sisters after their mother is jailed for killing her abusive husband.
Jennifer, 38, will play a family neighbour who becomes romantically involved with the Spider-Man star's character.
Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden is also involved in the project and is set to play a court-appointed therapist.
Adrian Lyne will direct the Pennsylvania-set murder mystery from a screenplay he co-wrote with Tawni, with Capote producer Michael Ohoven, Dan Spilo and Kevin Turen also working on the film.
Andrew - who also stars in The Social Network and Never Let Me Go - said last month that he hopes he will always be "struggling" for roles, so he is always learning.
He said: "I hope I never blow up. I hope that I have to audition for every single job I want. I hope that I'm always struggling, really. You develop when you're struggling. When you're struggling, you get stronger."