Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz share a poolside chat in Digital Spy's exclusive new clip from The Counsellor, the entertainment news agency said.

Ridley Scott's thriller sees the director reunite with his Prometheus star Michael Fassbender, who plays a lawyer caught up in the world of drug trafficking.

According to The Guardian, the film centers on a $20m drugs deal, in which the titular lawyer finds himself embroiled. Needless to say, the deal does not proceed smoothly with a safe and prompt delivery of the consignment to a satisfied customer. The drugs are stolen, a courier is beheaded, and Cameron Diaz – for the benefit of those who think there may be a happy ending – explains: "The slaughter to come – it's probably beyond our imagining."

The Counselor was a spec script written by the novelist Cormac McCarthy, which he sold in January 2012 to the producers who shephered his novel The Road to the screen in 2009. Ridley Scott was on board as director within the month, and Hollywood's A-list duked it out for roles, with large numbers of them securing something: Brad Pitt, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem are all on board, with a supporting cast including John Leguizamo, Rosie Pérez and Goran Višnjić.

The Counselor opens on October 25 in the U.S. and November 15 in the UK.