Courteney Cox has brought "a lot of levity" to her dark true crime thriller.

The Friends actress - who is set to reprise her role as Gale Weathers in Scream 7 - has hopped back behind the camera to direct her third feature film, Evil Genius, which tells the true story of a pizza deliveryman who robbed a bank with an explosive collar around his neck.

Danielle Macdonald, who has been cast in the dark comedy told Collider: "If you know the story, if you've seen the documentary, or just know the story from the news, it's crazy what happened, and it's dark, but Courteney brings a lot of comedic energy to it, truly.

"Because it's so absurd, it's almost funny. We were on set, and we're like, 'Why is this funny?' Because it's so crazy.

"So, it's nice when you have something dark and awful happen, but you can find levity in it, because it's sometimes the only way that you can sit through it and process it and experience it."

Macdonald - who is part of a star studded cast also including Patricia Arquette, David Harbour, Michael Chernus and Garrett Dillahunt - praised Cox for the way she tackled the subject matter.

She added: "I think she was the perfect choice because she was really passionate about the story.

"She's the reason this film happened and brought a lot of levity to it. She really made sure to infuse that.

"But it was really exciting. It was fun. We just finished filming last month."

A four part documentary - Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist - about the robbery dropped on Netflix in 2018.

In 2003, pizza deliveryman Brian wells died shortly after the robbery, but the story continued as an investigation revealed a web of lies and deception surrounding the case.

Up next, Cox will be seen in Scream 7, which also features the return of Neve Campbell's Sidney Prescott, Scott Foley's Roman Bridger and David Arquette's Dewey Riley.

The latter character was brutally killed off in the 2022 movie, and it's not yet known how he will return.

Cox previously admitted she was hoping to see her ex-husband Arquette make a comeback as Dewey.

She told Variety: "I understand the reasons they did it, but whoa! Talk about a missed character. Dewey is so loved by Scream fans. They have to figure it out."