Zachary Quinto and Jacob Elordi starring in He Went That Way

Zachary Quinto and Jacob Elordi are to star in 'He Went That Way'.

The duo are attached to feature in the road-trip crime thriller helmed by Jeffrey Darling in his feature directorial debut.

The film is set in 1964 and is based on the true-crime story of celebrity animal trainer Dave Pitts and his famous chimp, Spanky – the centrepiece of the travelling extravaganza The Ice Capades – and his fateful encounter with serial killer Larry Lee Ranes.

Zachary will play Jim Goodwin, based on Pitts, while Jacob stars as killer Bobby Falls, who is based on Ranes.

The movie has been inspired by Conrad Hilberry's book 'Luke Karamzov' and the real-life testimony from Pitts – the only survivor of Ranes' killing spree.

Evan M. Wiener is adapting the script while the producing team features Marc Benardout, James Harris, Mark Lane, Hugh Broder and Jeremy Kotin.

David Garrett's Mister Smith Entertainment is handling worldwide sales on the flick, which plans to start production in California later this year.

The movie will also feature Zippy the chimp, based on Spanky, as a fusion of a suited character actor and animatronics created by Legacy Effects, which has provided design for films such as 'The Shape of Water' and 'Jurassic World'.

Darling said in a statement: "'He Went That Way' is undoubtedly a journey of curious tensions and bonds between two and at times three interesting characters all on their own path.

"A cinematic tale on the road across the US in the early 60s where people come with a rawness forged from the landscapes they inhabit.

"It is for out two leads Jacob and Zachary as well as myself, a great opportunity to explore with an improvised sensibility."