Christina Ricci to star in Myriad Pictures' "Borgia"

Christina Ricci is in negotiations to star in Myriad Pictures' "Borgia" for director Neil Jordan and Imagemovers.

Ricci will segue into the project after she wraps shooting filmmaker Woody Allen's untitled project, which DreamWorks is distributing.

"Borgia," a historical drama set in the 15th century, follows the corrupt Borgia family, which includes siblings Lucretia and Cesare and their father, Roderigo, who went on to become Pope Alexander VI and ran the 16th century Vatican as a crime syndicate. Ricci will play Lucretia, the illegitimate daughter of Roderigo. Last week, Ewan McGregor came aboard to play Cesare, a hypocritical priest who plunders the nation to further his family's power.

Imagemovers' Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey are producing along with Jordan's producing partner Stephen Woolley. Myriad co-presidents Kirk D'Amico and Philip Von Alvensleben will executive produce with Myriad production president Lucas Foster.

Myriad, which is financing the $55 million picture through international sales, is retaining worldwide distribution rights to "Borgia." ICM, which reps Jordan, is handling North American distribution rights for Myriad.

Ricci, repped by ICM and attorney Melanie Cook, next stars and co-produces Miramax Films' "Prozac Nation." Other upcoming projects for the actress are the indie features "The Gathering" and "Pumpkin," which she also produces.

John Woo, Nicolas Cage, Men of Destiny

John Woo is courting Nicolas Cage to star with Chow Yun-Fat in "Men of Destiny," the director's epic look at the 19th-century construction of America's railroads.

The project puts Woo in reach of joining his Hong Kong star Chow with Cage, who starred in Woo's Hollywood films "Face/Off" and the upcoming World War II drama from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, "Windtalkers."

Developed from a Tom Vaughan script that has been rewritten by "Face/Off" scribes Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, "Destiny" is a plum project of Bill Mechanic's Pandemonium, which recently signed an exclusive distribution deal with Disney.

Cage would play an Irish immigrant who at first clashes and then bonds with his Chinese co-worker when they find common ground in the immigrant struggle for the American dream.

Cage's participation in the film has been rumored since last fall, though the complexities of Mechanic's overall financing deal kept such talk in the speculation stage until recently.

The actor, who made his directing debut on the indie drama "Sonny," had expected next to be working on the superhero drama "Constantine," but that film got grounded when its director, Tarsem, ankled.

Cage has several other options, including a revived attempt to mount "Ghost Rider," an adaptation of the Marvel Comics character.

That project foundered at Dimension when director Steve Norrington left the project, but it appears Dimension will put it in turnaround, and that it likely will be set up elsewhere as a potential vehicle for Cage.

THINKFilm to Distribute Thom Fitzgerald’s ensemble drama "The Event"

Recently formed North American distributor THINKFilm has made its first acquisition of worldwide rights to a film – Thom Fitzgerald’s ensemble drama "The Event".

Currently in production, the picture marks a return to theatrical film for the acclaimed director of "The Hanging Garden" and "Beefcake" after his USA Networks TV movie "Wolf Girl". Starring in the film, which is shooting in New York, are Parker Posey, Olympia Dukakis, Don McKellar, Sarah Polley, Jane Leeves and Brent Carver.

"The Event" centers around a series of unexplained deaths occurring in the gay community in New York’s Chelsea district. Posey plays a district attorney investigating the most recent case, a suspicious apparent suicide. Her interviews with friends and family of the man trigger flashbacks revealing the secrets to his life and death.

Fitzgerald and Bryan Hofbauer are producing the film which was written by Fitzgerald, Tim Marback and Steven Hillyer; Hillyer, Vicki McCarty and Robert Flutie are executive producers.

THINKFilm president Jeff Sackman and vice president of acquisitions and business affairs Randy Manis concluded the deal with Flutie after they and head of distribution Mark Urman read the screenplay and viewed select footage from the first days of production in New York.

The Event is the eighth acquisition for THINKFilm since it was formed last September. The other movies set for release this year are Laurent Cantet’s Time Out, Bart Freundlich’s World Traveler, Ismail Merchant’s The Mystic Masseur, Peter Care’s The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys, Gabriele Muccino’s The Last Kiss, Peter Mattei’s Love In The Time Of Money and Gus Van Sant’s Gerry.

Susan Sarandon, Leelee Sobieski and Robin Tunney in 'A Whale in Montana

Susan Sarandon, Leelee Sobieski and Robin Tunney will star in the ensemble indie feature "A Whale in Montana" for director George Hickenlooper.

The project begins shooting April 29 on the East Coast, with Donald Sutherland, David Strathairn and Rory Cochrane also starring.

Written by Paul Donohoe, the project is described as a cross between "Ghost" and "In the Bedroom." It follows a widowed doctor (Sarandon) with a 7-year-old daughter working in a small town. The doctor must come to terms with her past, present and future when her child's best friend, a 7-year-old boy from an abusive family, begins having visions of her dead husband.

Cochrane plays the boy's abusive father, with Tunney as his battered wife. Strathairn is the town sheriff, while Sutherland takes on the role of a retired doctor who is something of a mystery figure in the town. Sobieski plays a teenage runaway who comes to the town looking for the husband, unaware of his death, but whom she last saw when she was in elementary school in the big city. Erik Per Sullivan ("Malcolm in the Middle") is in talks to play the 7-year-old boy.

"I was tired of Hollywood complaining about a lack of good roles for women, and when I found this script, I thought, 'Here is a great part for a woman. Let's do it,' " Hickenlooper said. "After Sept. 11, I began to think of my priorities as a filmmaker. I want to make films for a wide audience, but I need the films to be meaningful to that audience."

Andrew Pfeffer and Donald Zuckerman are producing the project, which is budgeted at less than $10 million. "Whale" will be the fifth time the duo has teamed with Hickenlooper, following collaborations on such projects as "The Low Life," "Dogtown," "The Big Brass Ring" and the upcoming feature "The Man From Elysian Fields."

Hickenlooper, repped by Endeavor, is in postproduction on the feature-length documentary, "Mayor of the Sunset Strip," about pop star impresario Rodney Bingenheimer.

Sarandon is repped by ICM. Sobieski, Sutherland and Tunney are repped by CAA. Sobieski is additionally repped by Malatier Artists and Current Entertainment. Strathairn is repped by Gersh Agency and manager Madeline Ryan. Cochrane is repped by Endeavor and Untitled Entertainment.

Jim Carrey to be Bruce Almighty

Jim Carrey is set to star in "Bruce Almighty," a Universal Pictures comedy that reteams him with "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective" director Tom Shadyac. Shooting will start in July.

 Carrey, Shadyac and scribe Steve Oedekerk began working together on the film in earnest last month, when Carrey became available after the Gary Ross-directed comedy often called "Dog Years" screeched to a halt. At that time, Universal executives were eager to get Carrey into another film following their success with "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Liar Liar."

Carrey and Oedekerk wrote together on "In Living Color," and Oedekerk also directed the "Ace Ventura" sequel.

"Bruce Almighty" is a whiny guy who questions once too often why God gives him so much grief. He is suddenly given almighty power for 24 hours to teach him how difficult it is to run the world. Comedy ensues as the guy misuses, then tries to harness his awesome power.

Universal originally bought the project as a spec script by Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe. Carrey and Shadyac have been working with Oedekerk to rewrite the script, a three-man formula they employed during "Ace."

Carrey will follow up by starring in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," the USA Films picture reteaming "Human Nature" writer Charlie Kaufman and helmer Michel Gondry. He was last in theaters with "The Majestic."

Universal Pictures Begins Principal Photography On 'The Hulk,' Directed by Ang Lee

Universal Pictures has begun principal photography on ``The Hulk,'' the feature film based upon one of Marvel Comics' most memorable and popular superhero series and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee (``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'') from a screenplay by James Schamus. The film's producers are Gale Anne Hurd, Marvel Studios Chief Executive Officer Avi Arad, James Schamus and Larry Franco. Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee and Kevin Feige are the executive producers.

Eric Bana (``Chopper,'' ``Black Hawk Down'') stars as scientist Bruce Banner, whose inner demons transform him into The Hulk in the aftermath of a catastrophic experiment. Bana plays both the human Banner and -- through groundbreaking visual effects technology provided by the Oscar®-winning Industrial Light + Magic (ILM) -- the superhuman Hulk.

Jennifer Connelly, who just received the Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Alicia Nash in the Oscar®-winning ``A Beautiful Mind'' and won rave reviews for her performance as a hapless Coney Island resident in ``Requiem For A Dream,'' portrays Betty Ross, whose scientific genius unwittingly helps unleash The Hulk, and whose love for Banner finds its impossible resolution in the film's denouement.

Sam Elliott, who recently starred opposite Mel Gibson as the no-nonsense Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley in Randall Wallace's ``We Were Soldiers,'' plays Betty's father, General Ross. Josh Lucas, who appeared opposite Connelly in ``A Beautiful Mind'' as Professor Martin Hansen, plays Glenn Talbot, a romantic and professional rival of Bruce Banner's. Academy Award® nominee Nick Nolte, whose recent credits include ``Affliction'' and ``The Thin Red Line,'' plays a sinister figure who returns from Banner's past to haunt him.

Lee's behind-the-camera team includes cinematographer Fred Elmes (``The Ice Storm,'' ``Wild at Heart,'' ``Blue Velvet''), Academy Award® winning production designer Rick Heinrichs (``Planet of the Apes,'' ``Sleepy Hollow,'' ``The Big Lebowski,'' ``Fargo''), costume designer Marit Allen (``Ride with the Devil,'' ``Eyes Wide Shut,'' ``Smilla's Sense of Snow'') and editor Tim Squyres (all of Ang Lee's films and Robert Altman's ``Gosford Park''). ILM's Dennis Muren, an eight-time Academy Award® winner for films including ``E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,'' ``The Abyss'' and ``Jurassic Park,'' will supervise visual effects.

Ang Lee's concept for the film combines all the elements of a blockbuster visual effects-intensive superhero movie with the brooding romance and tragedy of Universal's classic horror films -- for The Hulk is at once a superhero and a monster, a wish fulfillment and a nightmare. Lee and his team have gone back to the moving, early incarnations of the character created in May 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, staying true to the subversive spirit of the early Marvel years, while completely updating and projecting The Hulk into the dangers and aspirations of contemporary times.