Brad Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Sundance Film Festival, at the True Story premiere.

The Fury star, who was the executive producer of the crime thriller, dropped in at the event in snowy Utah on January 23, where he posed for photos on the red carpet with actor James Franco and director Rupert Goold.

“Just chillin with these dudes at SUNDANCE. #rupertgoold #bradpitt,” James tweeted, alongside a picture of the trio.

James plays Christian Longo, who was on the FBI’s most wanted list for murdering his wife and three children in Oregon, with his friend Jonah Hill as journalist Michael Finkel in True Story, based on Michael’s memoirs.

The pair previously acted together in This Is The End.

“A story about a person like this, who on the surface seems very normal, and underneath, he’s possibly a murderer. It’s really bleak material,” the 127 Hours star explained.

“Fortunately, I was with Jonah, my friend, and that kind of made it easier, but it was pretty bleak.”

Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill (Jonathan Short/Invision/AP)

The 36-year-old actor continued: “Jonah and I have done a lot of work together but it’s usually comedy, and this movie is not a comedy. But I think there’s something that is added to the movie to the dynamic because of our history.

“The movie is about, at its centre, two lost people coming together and finding each other because the rest of the world has written them off, and so I think it was important that it was Jonah and I. I think that really helped our relationship for the movie.”

Felicity Jones also stars in True Story, which is slated for release in US cinemas in April.