Will Smith Will Produce And Potentially Star In "Uptown Saturday Night

Will Smith will produce and potentially star in a remake of "Uptown Saturday Night," a groundbreaking 1974 comedy that starred Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby as buddies who go uptown to chase some crooks who've stolen their winning lottery ticket. The film will be produced at Warner Bros. by Smith and his Overbrook Entertainment partner James Lassiter, who have long chased the rights. The deal also covers rights to the film's two sequels, "Let's Do It Again" and "A Piece of the Action."

The Poitier-directed "Uptown Saturday Night" was one of the first black comedy vehicles to cross over to become a mainstream hit; it also featured many top African-American stars of the period; and it distinguished itself from a flood of radical and violent blaxploitation films by offering a premise that appealed to a family audience.

"For mine and Will's generation, this was the ultimate comedy, and we still watch it at least once a year," Lassiter said. "We've been pursuing these rights for eight years, back to when Will was on 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' but we could never get the title."

Smith even tried his hand at writing a buddy comedy that borrowed from the film's spirit but dropped it when he joined Martin Lawrence in the action comedy "Bad Boys." While he and Lawrence are prepping to reprise their roles in a sequel that will be directed by Michael Bay at Columbia once Ron Shelton turns in a rewrite, Smith and Lassiter never forgot about "Uptown Saturday Night." The film finally came together at Warner Bros., where Smith is in talks to star for Bay in "I Am Legend."

WB, which distributed the film, owns a partial stake in that and other First Artists films that were conceived by Freddie Fields and David Begelman to give filmmakers complete creative control. Yorem Roth, who holds the rights to all three features, will executive produce the project. Warners executive vp production Kevin McCormick is overseeing "Uptown."

Warners released "Again" in 1975, with "Action" following in 1977. All parties were repped in the deal by CAA. Smith most recently worked with Warners on "Wild Wild West."

Ewan McGregor joins 'Borgia' for Neil Jordan

Ewan McGregor has come aboard to star in Myriad Pictures' "Borgia" for director Neil Jordan and Imagemovers. The project is aimed to go into production in the summer.

The 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. McGregor will play Cesare, a hypocritical priest who plunders the nation to further his family's power. Viggo Mortensen had been in negotiations to star but has opted instead to star in the Walt Disney Co.'s action-adventure Western "Hidalgo."

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.

McGregor, repped by CAA and British agent Lindy King, was most recently featured in the Oscar-nominated features "Moulin Rouge" and "Black Hawk Down." He next stars in "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones."

Glenn Close, Danny DeVito join Ricci, Biggs in Allen's latest

Glenn Close and Danny DeVito have been added to the cast of Woody Allen's untitled project, which will shoot in the spring. Allen also stars and will direct from his script, with DreamWorks distributing.

The plot of the project is being kept under wraps, but it is known that it will revolve around three young adults, two of whom will be played by Christina Ricci and Jason Biggs. It is believed that Close will play Ricci's mother.  Close and DeVito are repped by CAA.

Close, a five-time Oscar nominee, is shooting Fox Searchlight's "Le Divorce" for helmer James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant. She next stars in the indie feature "The Safety of Objects."

DeVito stars in and directed Warner Bros.' "Death to Smoochy," which opens Friday. He is directing Miramax Films' "Duplex," starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore.

On Sunday, Allen made his first appearance at the Academy Awards -- despite the fact that he has received 20 nominations and won three Oscars --- to pay tribute to his home city of New York in a special segment of the ceremony

Artisan gets rights to Enron whistleblower story

Film and television studio Artisan Entertainment Inc. Wednesday said it bought rights to the life story of Enron Corp. whistleblower Sherron Watkins and her upcoming book "Power Failure" to turn into a television movie.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Artisan, best known for releasing the hit independent film "The Blair Witch Project" in 1999, has a large library of films it distributes on video and DVD.

Its recently formed Artisan Television wing is a supplier of made-for-TV movies, and is behind the Watkins deal.

Since the Houston-based energy company's bankruptcy filing three months ago, Hollywood has been scrambling to develop TV movies around its accounting scandals and downward spiral into the United States' biggest ever bankruptcy.

Several Hollywood insiders are skeptical that the complex tale about dubious accounting practices will appeal to a mass audience. Still many film and TV producers are eager to dramatize the debacle.

Artisan recently hired former "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman as a consultant for an Enron TV movie being developed by it and the the FX cable TV channel.

At "60 Minutes," Bergman was instrumental in gaining national exposure for tobacco company whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand. Bergman's and Wigand's story formed the center of 1999's Oscar-nominated movie, "The Insider," in which Al Pacino portrayed Bergman.

Talent agency International Creative Management had been shopping the film rights to Watkins' book, written by journalist Mimi Swartz, according to her agents at Collins McCormack Literary Agency.

That book, recently sold to Doubleday for $500,000, examines the Enron crisis through the eyes of its leading female executive who found herself at odds with the company's male-dominated upper echelon.

Recent films about corporate corruption have had mixed success at the box office.

"The Insider," while earning critical plaudits and seven Oscar nominations, did poorly and sparked considerable debate about the accuracy of events it portrayed.

By contrast, "Erin Brockovich," which garnered a best-actress Oscar for Julia Roberts, was one of the highest-grossing films of 2000.

"The Untold Love Story: Marie-Antoinette and Count Fersen"

Luis Mandoki and Mimi Polk Gitlin's Mandolin Entertainment have closed a deal with Julio Bove's Bosco Entertainment to develop Evelyn Farr's 1995 book "The Untold Love Story: Marie-Antoinette and Count Fersen." Farr is adapting the screenplay, with Mandoki to direct if schedule permits.

Using correspondence and documents, Farr's book details the love affair between Marie-Antoinette and the Swedish count Axel Fersen. Their romance included Fersen's efforts to save Antoinette, his own death as a victim of court conspiracies and the revolutionary and political turmoil of the era.

Producers Gitlin, Mandoki and Bove hope to shoot the project in Prague and France.

TV rights to the "Forgotten Realms" novels

Fireworks Television, working with Miramax Films on ABC's upcoming "A Wrinkle in Time" miniseries, has snapped up the TV rights to the "Forgotten Realms" novels.

R.A. Salvatore, scribe for many of the books based on the popular Dungeons & Dragons game series, is on board to pen the live-action TV effort, also to be titled "Forgotten Realms." R. A. Salvatore, the most popular author in the Forgotten Realms setting, features the return of the most popular character in the series.

Salvatore is also penning the novelization for the picture "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones."

Still needing a network buyer, "Forgotten Realms" already has suspense built into its adventure premise of a land filled with wizards and sorcerers.

James Cameron directing "Fantastic Voyage"?

SCIFI.com reports that while speaking with Dean Devlin, producer of "Independnece Day" and the upcoming "Eight Legged Freaks," Devlin revealed that he won't be developing an updated version of the classic "Fantastic Voyage," but rather James Cameron might.

"Cameron is doing Fantastic Voyage now," Devlin said in an interview. "Unfortunately for us, but I think he's going to do a great job. It's one of those things, if anyone is going to do a project you wanted to do, you'd rather it be [him]. If it's Cameron, [Steven] Spielberg, [Robert] Zemeckis, you kind of go, 'OK, fine!'"

It was once believed that the team of Roland Emmerich and Devlin would attack the project, with rumor once being that Emmerich and Devlin would combine the plots of "Voyage" and a sequel to "Independence Day," with a group of scientists descending into the body of the president of the United States to root out micro-alien invaders.

Spider-Man" trailer

The final "Spider-Man" trailer (which will be attached to copies of "Panic Room" this Friday) will go live at 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time, 9:00 A.M. Pacific Time. You will be able to view the trailer at THIS LINK once it goes up. "Spider-Man" Full Trailer (Quicktime 5 Required, Various Sizes)

Richard Saperstein has joined Artisan Pictures

High-ranking Hollywood production executive Richard Saperstein, who spent the last nine years at New Line Cinema, has joined Artisan Pictures as president of development and production.

Reporting directly to Artisan Pictures CEO Bob Cooper, Saperstein is charged with overseeing the company’s daily theatrical film development and production activities. Saperstein will work closely with Cooper to assemble a slate of films.

Saperstein spent the past nine years at New Line Cinema where he ultimately held the postion of senior executive vice president of worldwide production. Working alongside Mike DeLuca, he helped build the company and oversaw the production and development of films including Seven, Frequency, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, The Mask, Rush Hour and Dumb And Dumber.

Prior to joining New Line, Saperstein worked as a motion picture literary agent at ICM. Artisan Pictures, run by Cooper, is the theatrical film production, marketing and distribution arm of Artisan Entertainment.