• Nicole Kidman, Court and Spark For Fox Searchlight
• Miramax, The Forger
• Radar Pictures, We Die Alone
• Scott Rudin and Paramount on the Fast Track
• Sandra Bullock hitched to 'Bridesmaids'
• 'Flight 93' film on way to CBS
• Kiefer Sutherland found his match in Dennis Hopper for 24'
• F-64 Is The Name, Jeff Korchek Is The Exec Who Will Run It
• Toby Stephens, Rick Yune and Rosamund Pike For 007
• Jet Li to reteam with DMX for ``Cradle''
• Danish director Bille August goes Hollywood
• Hollywood Dreams, It Seems, Can Come True, Especially In Utah.
• Alliance Atlantis cuts 80 jobs, merges TV, film
• mPRm hired Chris Libby
• Robert Redford, His Festival Has Changed The Face Of The US Film Industry
• Sundance Line-Up: 'Much Darker' Than Usual
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Nicole Kidman, Court and Spark For Fox Searchlight

Fox Searchlight has made a deal to develop ``Court and Spark,'' a vehicle that will crown Nicole Kidman as Eleanor of Aquitaine, who in the 12th century became queen of both France and England, proving more than a match for both kings.

The daughter of William, Duke of Aquitaine, Eleanor was wildly rich and flamboyant and was in line to inherit most of southern France. But her desire to rule was thwarted by her gender.

She became queen of France through a marriage to King Louis VII. Entirely bored and frustrated, Eleanor had an affair with Henry Plantagenet, the Duke of Normandy who would become king of England. Eleanor got the Pope to annul her marriage, and she soon became queen of England.

``Eleanor had the civilizing influence of Jacqueline Kennedy and the political skills of Eleanor Roosevelt and Margaret Thatcher,'' said Alan Howard, who will write the script. ``The movie will use this passionate and explosive love story of Eleanor and Henry to focus this extraordinary life.''

While the script percolates, Kidman will be plenty busy. She's about to start the Lars von Trier film ``Dogville,'' followed by the Robert Benton-directed ``The Human Stain'' with Anthony Hopkins. She'll then likely star with Jim Carrey in the Gary Ross-directed Universal comedy ``Dog Years.'' She's also producing but not starring in the Jane Campion-directed ``In the Cut.''

Miramax, The Forger

Miramax Films is developing ``The Forger,'' an adaptation of Paul Watkins' thriller about art forgery in Nazi-occupied Paris.

David Auburn, author of the Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play ``Proof,'' has signed on to pen the script.

The story concerns an American student who arrives in Paris in 1939 and is swept up in a scheme to replace French masterpieces with forgeries before the Nazis seize them.

The studio will work on the project with Sony-based producer Laura Ziskin, who is also producing the Oscars as well as Sony's summer tentpole picture ``Spider-Man.''

``I'm a huge fan of David Auburn and we have been looking for something on which we could collaborate,'' Ziskin said. ``David loved this book and it was a perfect fit with Miramax's sensibilities.''

Auburn also is writing a film adaptation of ``Proof'' for Gotham-based ``Boys Don't Cry'' producers John Hart and Jeff Sharp, who took movie rights to the play early last year.

Book Description (Buy This Book) At the turn of World War II, David Halifax is a young American painter who receives a scholarship to come to Paris and work under the tutelage of the mysterious and brilliant Russian painter, Alexander Pankratov. Getting more than he bargained for, Halifax is quickly subjected to Pankratov's rigid will, and beguiled by the quiet, nude model that poses before them.

But Paris is also a city that is holding its breath. As the German invasion becomes imminent the once-indomitable city begins to expect the worst. Beneath Paris' blanket of fear and eerie calm, David Halifax realizes the true purpose of his visit: Pankratov is to train him in duplicating the masterworks of the Paris museums, and with the aid of a wily art dealer, barter the fakes to Hitler's legion of art dealers. What develops is a cat-and-mouse game through Paris' silent streets, in the tunnels beneath its museums, and eventually into the scorched countryside of Normandy.

In their frantic race to complete one last forgery, both David and Pankratov are forced to confront the terrible sacrifices one must finally make for art; a sacrifice of identity, and perhaps of the soul.

About the Author: Paul Watkins is the author of seven novels, including The Story of My Disappearance, Archangel and The Promise of Light, as well as the memoir Stand Before Your God. He lives in New Jersey.

Radar Pictures, We Die Alone

Ted Field's Radar Pictures has made a deal to turn David Howarth's harrowing WWII book ``We Die Alone'' into a feature film that will recount the true story of the attempt by an allied commando -- Jan Baalsrud -- to escape pursuit by the Nazis. Baalsrud had infiltrated Nazi-occupied Norway, teaming with villagers from a remote enclave to thwart the Nazis.

``There are so many unsung heroes from WWII whose triumphs are unknown,'' said Erica Huggins, a Radar senior production executive who brought in the project. ``We want to capture Jan Baalsrud's incredible courage and triumph in the face of a particularly adverse journey.''

Book Description; (Buy This Book) Here is one of the finest, most exciting escape narratives to emerge from the challenges and miseries of World War Two--now with a new Introduction by Stephen A. Ambrose, one of the most notable historians of our time.

In March 1943, a team of expatriate Norwegian commandos sailed from northern England for Nazi-occupied arctic Norway to organize and supply the Norwegian resistance. But they were betrayed and the Nazis ambushed them. Only one man survived-Jan Baalsrud. This is the incredible story of his escape.

Pursued by the Nazis onto the unmapped peaks of the Lyngen Alps, Jan touched off an avalanche and fell three hundred feet. Frostbitten and snow-blind, he dragged himself on. When he finally reached a small arctic village, he was near death, delirious, and a virtual cripple. The villagers seized the opportunity to strike back against the Nazis and took it upon themselves to save him-at all costs. The call to action was sent by ski runner, from fjord to fjord, until hundreds of people were involved in the effort to keep Jan alive and get him to neutral Sweden. Managing seemingly impossible feats, the heroic men and women who risked their lives to help Jan shared his incredible courage and determination.

We Die Alone is an astonishing true story of heroism and endurance, but, like Slavomir Rawicz's The Long Walk, it is also an unforgettable portrait of the determination of the human spirit.

About the Author: David Howarth served as a naval officer during World War Two, running the Norwegian-manned spy ring whose name later became the title of his first best-selling book, The Shetland Bus. He died in 1991.

Radar will release the Dimension thriller ``They'' in summer, and is prepping the Vin Diesel starrer ``Pitch Black 2: Chronicles of Riddick'' for a spring start.

Scott Rudin and Paramount on the Fast Track

Scott Rudin and Paramount have quickly plucked ``The Jordeys'' out of Warner Bros. turnaround, with the intention of fast-tracking a Chris D'Arienzo script that has become a cult favorite because of its Hollywood insider bite. The pic's a mockumentary about the rise, fall and rise of two teenage movie stars.

Rudin will produce with Ed Solomon, who helped shepherd the pic when it originally took root at WB. D'Arienzo is currently working on the Karaoke comedy ``Don't Stop Believin''' for Universal, Tom Shadyac's Shady Acres and Ben Stiller's Red Hour.

Sandra Bullock hitched to 'Bridesmaids'

Sandra Bullock and Revolution Studios have teamed to develop an original comedy feature, "Bridesmaids," as a vehicle for the actress to star in and produce through her Fortis Films.

The project, being written by Liz Brixius, is described as a female buddy comedy feature set at a wedding at Martha's Vineyard. It is being developed for two actresses to star in, one of whom is expected to be Bullock, though no deals are yet in place for the actress.

Bullock, repped by CAA, next stars in Warner Bros.' "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." She recently wrapped production on Castle Rock Entertainment's "Murder by Numbers," which she executive produces, for director Barbet Schroeder.

Bullock also is readying to star in Castle Rock's untitled romantic comedy from writer-director Mark Lawrence that she'll also produce through Fortis

'Flight 93' film on way to CBS

The story of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, is coming to the small screen.

CBS is developing "The Real Story of Flight 93," a telefilm from Emmy-winning producer Lawrence Schiller (CBS' "Perfect Murder, Perfect Town"), about the 90-minute flight, told from the perspective of the people on the ground.

In addition to "Flight 93," Schiller has a host of high-profile longform projects set at CBS and USA Network, including CBS movies about the Boston Strangler and FBI veteran and alleged Russian spy Robert Hanssen.

Schiller is also close to acquiring the rights to Patricia Cornwell's book on Jack the Ripper to turn it into a telefilm.

"Flight 93" is one of several Sept. 11-themed long-form projects in development. Alliance Atlantis is developing internally a movie that centers on the Hamburg terrorist cell that allegedly included at least three of the Sept. 11 suicide attackers, including ringleader Mohamed Atta.

Additionally, a number of projects deriving from the events onboard Flight 93 have been pitched to the networks.

Schiller, who believes we're too close to the tragedy to do that, took a different approach. "Flight 93" is about how the people who followed the flight on the ground "rose to the occasion trying to find out what was happening in the air and deal with it," he said. "It's not a story only of heroes, it's a story of the futility, of trying to deal with something that they didn't even know was possible."

Other movie projects based on true stories that Schiller has in development at CBS include:

• "The Boston Strangler," based on new documents uncovered by Schiller that include witness reports accusing another person;
• "Columbine USA," that looks into school shootings and adolescent violence and their roots in the teens' families;
• "The Thomas Affair," about a man who sues the Ford Motor Co. for the death of his wife in a car crash and is later accused by Ford of murdering his wife and staging the murder as an accident;
• "The Washington Scandal," about the power of Washington congressmen and their relationships with aspiring interns; inspired by the Chandra Levy case.

Additionally, Schiller is developing "Spellbound," a movie for USA.

Schiller, who comes from a journalistic background, produces his projects through his KLS Communications production company. Fox TV Studios is distributing.

Schiller, who won an Emmy for "Peter the Great" and most recently produced CBS' "American Tragedy," is repped by ICM.

Kiefer Sutherland found his match in Dennis Hopper for 24'

Kiefer Sutherland seems to have finally found his match in Fox's real-time suspense drama "24."

Dennis Hopper is in final negotiations to join the cast of the Golden Globe-nominated new series from Imagine TV and 20th Century Fox TV in a recurring role. He will play the mastermind behind the plot of the assassination of a presidential candidate that is at the center of the series.

He will square off with Golden Globe-nominated Sutherland, who plays a CIA agent racing against the clock to foil the assassination attempt.

The story in "24," created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, unfolds in real time over 24 hours on the day of the California presidential primary.

"24" marks the third onscreen pairing of Hopper and Sutherland and a deja vu for the feature stars, who toplined the 1990 movie "Flashback," in which Sutherland played a young FBI agent while Hopper was again on the wrong side of the law. Hopper and Sutherland also co-starred in the 1997 feature "The Last Days of Frankie the Fly."

The Fox drama also marks Hopper's second significant TV series commitment after his first foray in series TV as the star of "Flatland," a 22-episode action-drama from China-based Hweilai Studios (HR 7/10).

Hopper, whose list of acclaimed performances includes "Blue Velvet" and "Apocalypse Now," has earned Oscar nominations for co-writing "Easy Rider" and for his supporting role in "Hoosiers."

He is repped by ICM, Artists Management Group and the law firm Bloom, Hergott, Diemer & Cook.

F-64 Is The Name, Jeff Korchek Is The Exec Who Will Run It

After months of twists and turns, the daring film venture hatched by a group of cutting-edge directors is closing in on a name, as well as an executive.

Directors Steven Soderbergh, David Fincher, Spike Jonze and Alexander Payne are leaning toward naming the venture F-64 (a filmmaking term); the executive running it will likely be Jeff Korchek, the former Universal head of business affairs who most recently has been an agent at Broder Kurland Webb Uffner.

Korchek seems a good choice given that the directors wanted an exec whose specialty was in making deals. Since the company's formation was first revealed by Daily Variety early last fall, it has been developing at a slow shutter speed. Dish hears each director will make his next three directing efforts for the venture, while the company's still negotiating with USA Films.

Those talks have apparently not been adversely affected by Barry Diller's deal with Vivendi, partly because the director's company is a free-standing entity designed solely for their films, and because the participants sparked to the potential help of Universal's marketing might.

It's unclear when a formal announcement will be made, partly because the directors are still figuring out which projects they can direct that will be part of the venture, a scenario only possible if the pre-existing studio agrees to take foreign rights. Soderbergh is trying to accomplish that with his script for the Fox-based ``Solaris'' (Fox would take foreign and George Clooney might star), but progress has been slow.

Toby Stephens, Rick Yune and Rosamund Pike For 007

Toby Stephens, Rick Yune and Rosamund Pike have joined the cast of the currently untitled Bond film, the 20^th in the 007 series which starts shooting on Monday at Pinewood Studios in the UK.

Pierce Brosnan returns to the role of James Bond for the fourth time, with Halle Berry as the female lead Jinx and New Zealand director Lee Tamahori behind the camera. Also returning to reprise their roles are Judi Dench as M, John Cleese as Q and Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny.

A press conference will be held at Pinewood tomorrow morning to kick off the movie which is being produced by Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and was written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. MGM has domestic rights with international partner 20^th Century Fox handling international distribution.

Yune’s credits include The Fast And The Furious and Snow Falling On Cedars; Stephens has credits including Possession, Cousin Bette, Onegin and Space Cowboys, while Pike has to date appeared in miniseries Love In A Cold Climate and Wives And Daughters and TV movie A Rather English Marriage.

Jet Li to reteam with DMX for ``Cradle''

Asian action hero Jet Li will reteam with rapper DMX in ``Cradle to the Grave,'' an gritty heist thriller set to begin production in February.

The Warner Bros. project also marks a reunion for the ``Romeo Must Die'' pair with that film's director Andrzej Bartkowiak and producer Joel Silver.

The new film promises the same formula of a modest budget, lots of action and a strong soundtrack.

It pits a law enforcement officer (Li) against a streetwise entrepreneur (DMX) who's suspected of being part of a global diamond heist. The adversaries find themselves uneasily aligned as the cop helps the crook find his daughter, who's been kidnapped by a dangerous man bent on acquiring the diamonds as part of a scheme for mass destruction.

``It's an exciting movie that's a topical but not threatening premise, with some awesome action beats,'' Silver said.

DMX, who has long flirted with the role, made his feature debut in ``Romeo Must Die'' and followed that with the hit ``Exit Wounds,'' also produced by Silver and directed by Bartkowiak. The William Morris Agency, which just signed DMX, aims to broaden the platinum-selling rapper's acting career beyond straight action fare.

Li also is on his third film with Silver, who introduced the Hong Kong veteran to U.S. audiences in ``Lethal Weapon 4.'' Li most recently starred in ``The One'' and is planning a pairing with Jackie Chan.

Danish director Bille August goes Hollywood

Danish director Bille August (``Pelle the Conqueror'') is set to cast his next film in southern California for the first time.

His Copenhagen office confirmed he will travel to the United States later this month to begin production on ``Without Apparent Motive,'' an ``L. A. Conficential''-style thriller penned by Eric Blakeney.

``He has signed to direct the film in Hollywood this spring. But it is not up to him to make further announcements,'' his personal assistant, Karin Trolle, told Daily Variety.

August has not been behind the camera since filming ``A Song for Martin'' two years ago. ``Martin,'' a Swedish low-budget chamber play, will be released domestically this spring by First Look Pictures.

August, who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1988 as well as the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for his ``Pelle the Conqueror,'' has directed pictures including ``The House of the Spirits,'' ``Smilla's Sense of Snow'' and ``Les Miserables.''

Hollywood Dreams, It Seems, Can Come True, Especially In Utah.

Independent movie company Hypnotic and automaker Chrysler on Wednesday unveiled a contest at this week's Sundance Film Festival in Utah, to pick an emerging filmmaker who will win $1 million to make a film to be released by Universal Studios.

The contest marks the second consecutive year Hypnotic has given away $1 million to a young filmmaker. Last year's winner, David Von Ancken, plans to start shooting his movie in a few months, said Doug Scott, executive producer of the program.

Also, at Sundance this year another $1 million dollar winner, Pete Jones, from a contest called Project Greenlight and sponsored by Miramax Films, Web site LivePlanet and Sam Adams beer, will be showing his movie ``Stolen Summer.''

Taken together, the two give some hope to fledgling writers and directors who, over the past few years, may have entered any one of a number of Internet-based film or screenwriting contests only to see them fall victim to the dot-com bomb.

``This is really about giving filmmakers a real opportunity and providing them with real resources, like casting directors and industry mentors, who bring them the production knowledge a new filmmaker may not have had,'' said Scott.

Moreover, the two contests and their winners give some hope to those young filmmakers who just want to get their foot into the Hollywood door, then let their work speak for itself.

Scott said Von Ancken, an accountant before winning 2001's Hypnotic award, has already done some commercial work. Von Ancken's film is set in New York and involves five people whose lives cross paths after a natural disaster.

'PERFECTING THE ART OF MAKING COFFEE'

He added that part of Chrysler's aim, beyond promoting its brand name as a sponsor, is to build a pool of young filmmaking talent to draw from.

Jones, who won Project Greenlight last spring said the contest plucked him from a life of ``going from job to job perfecting the art of making coffee.''

``Stolen Summer'' is about a Catholic boy who is told he must change his ways over the summer or he'll go to Hell. He meets a Jewish boy, and they try to figure out how to get to Heaven.

Jones said he has another project in the works, which Miramax has agreed to take a look at, and he said he's not so much nervous for the ``Stolen Summer'' debut at Sundance as he is excited, finally, to be showing it to real audiences.

Two things about moviemaking he's learned, is that it's expensive and time consuming, taking as much as 20-hour days, 7 days-a-week to get the film done in time for the festival.

He started on the $1 million budget, but had to plead for a second million to finish. Miramax provided the cash.

The Hypnotic contest has several phases, starting in Sundance where 25 scripts are picked from what Scott expects to be anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 submissions.

The process of winnowing down to a winner continues through the Cannes Film Festival in May and the Toronto Film Festival in Sept. More information can be found at the Chrysler Web site at http://www.chrysler.com.

Hypnotic is a Los Angeles-based entertainment company focused on independent filmmaking. Chrysler is a unit of auto giant DaimlerChrysler AG . Universal Studios is a unit of media giant Vivendi Universal, and Miramax Films is part of The Walt Disney Co.

Alliance Atlantis cuts 80 jobs, merges TV, film

Alliance Atlantis will cut 80 staff positions — approximately 9% of its work force -- as the Toronto-based entertainment company consolidates its television and motion picture production operations along with their attendant distribution and promotion departments. Among the high-profile employees affected are Mark Horowitz, Los Angeles-based president of Alliance Atlantis Pictures International, and John Morayniss, executive vice president of Alliance Atlantis Television Production, a 12-year veteran from pre-merger Alliance Communications.

In a statement, Michael MacMillan, AAC Chairman and CEO said the consolidation of the production businesses "allows us to reap the operating benefits and financial synergies, arising from combining the talents of people skilled in both television and motion picture development, production, financing and distribution." He added that the AAC will gain "efficiencies by eliminating overlap and duplication of skill sets." The company estimates the cuts will save it $4.3m ($C7m) a year beginning in fiscal 2003.

AAC’s TV and film production operations will be folded into a new unit, the Entertainment Group, to be headed by group CEO Peter Sussman. An indication of the degree of change is the fact that Seaton McLean, formerly President of Motion Picture Production now assumes responsibility for all television production as well;. Further, McLean, who used to report directly to MacMillan will now report to Sussman along with Ted Riley, President, Distribution and Steve Ord, Executive Vice President, who will handle business and legal affairs. Sussman will report to MacMillan.

The two other core operations of the company -- the Motion Picture Distribution Group, which includes UK-based Momentum Pictures, and the Broadcast Group -- are essentially unaffected.

The cuts were expected. MacMillan announced late last year plans to scale back production of high-cost, low-margin television drama and reduce the number and size of in-house motion picture productions. Today’s announcement, said MacMillan, "is the next logical step in our strategy -- creating an infrastructure that more accurately reflects the anticipated size of our production business going forward."

AAC owns or has invested in 13 of the 46 digital TV channels launched in September 2001, including the Independent Film Channel. Recent figures on the audience and take-up rate of the new channels suggest the new services face a rough ride. Only 22% of Canadian households have access to digital services; industry observers suggest that figure will need to reach 50% if the format is to be considered a success. These numbers, combined with a continuing weak advertising market will only add to the company’s woes.

mPRm hired Chris Libby

Bicoastal US public relations agency mPRm has promoted Paul Breton, Kristen Wareham, Chris Reichert and Jennifer Vogelmann to senior account executives, and hired Chris Libby as a senior account executive in the film division of the firm’s west coast office.

Libby joins the film division after several years in independent film releasing at companies such as Trimark Pictures and Independent Pictures; he is currently handling the release campaigns for Lions Gate’s Frailty and THINKFilm’s World Traveler and The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys and is part of the team representing Janet Yang’s Manifest Film Co.

Breton has been an instrumental member of the Napster account team, and is currently working on InsideSessions, while Wareham is working on accounts including DMX/AEI Music, DTS and Inside Sessions.

Reichert has overseen home video/DVD release campaigns such as Universal’s Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Dreamworks’ Gladiator and Columbia/TriStar’s Funny Girl, and is currently handling the production companies Big Idea Productions and Wild Brain.

Vogelmann works in the TV department on projects such as Miramax Television and HBOs Project Greenlight.