Columbia Pictures The Company: A Novel of the CIA

Columbia Pictures has paid seven figures for film rights to Robert Littell's bestselling spy thriller "The Company: A Novel of the CIA."

The book, recently published by Overlook Press, is a panoramic fictional treatment of the U.S. intelligence community from the dawn of the Cold War to the fall of the Soviet Union. Book Description; With a sharp eye for the pathos and absurdity of the Cold War, Robert Littell crafted his first novel, the now legendary spy thriller The Defection of A.J. Lewinter. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt of The New York Times called it "a perfect little gem, the best Cold War thriller I've read in years," and the praise kept coming with critics hailing Littell as "the American Le Carré" (New York Times) and raving that his books were "as good as thriller writing gets" (The Washington Post).

For his fourteenth novel, Robert Littell creates an engrossing, multigenerational, wickedly nostalgic yet utterly candid saga, bringing to life through a host of characters-historical and imagined-the over 40 years of the CIA-"the Company" to insiders. At the heart of the novel is a stunningly conceived mole hunt involving such rivals and allies as the MI6, KGB, and Mossad

Racing across a canvas that spans the legendary Berlin Base in the 1950s-the front line of the simmering Cold War-to the Soviet invasion of Hungary, the Bay of Pigs, the Afghan war, the Gorbachev putsch, and other major theatres of operation for the CIA, The Company tells a thrilling story of agents imprisoned in double lives, fighting an enemy that was amoral, elusive, formidable.

Littell tells it like it was: CIA agents, fighting not only the good fight, but sometimes the bad one as well. Littell also brilliantly lays bare the warring within the Company to add another dimension to the spy vs. spy game: the battles between the counterintelligence agents in Washington, like the utterly obsessive real-life mole hunter James Angleton, and the covert action boys in the field, like The Company's Harvey Torriti-the Sorcerer-a brilliant and brash rule breaker and dirty tricks expert who fights fire with fire, and his Apprentice, Jack McAuliffe, recruited fresh out of Yale, who learns tradecraft and the hard truths of life in the field.

As this dazzling anatomy of the CIA unfolds, nothing less than the world's future in the second half of the twentieth century is at stake. At once a celebration of a long Cold War well fought, an elegy for the end of an era, and a reckoning for a profession in which moral ambiguity created a wilderness of mirrors, The Company is the Cold War's devastating truth, its entertaining tale, its last word.

About the Author; Connoisseurs of the literary spy thriller have elevated Robert Littell to the genre's highest ranks-along with John le Carre, Len Deighton and Graham Greene. Littell's novels include The Defection of A.J. Lewinter, The October Circle, Mother Russia, The Amateur (which was made into a feature film), The Once and Future Spy, An Agent in Place, The Visiting Professor, and Walking Back the Cat. His works have been published in 12 languages, and even before publication The Company has been sold in six countries.

Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman John Calley said the novel "will provide a rich and realistic tapestry for the development of an epic film centered on the world of espionage."

Dramatic rights were purchased weeks ago by Michael Viner, publisher of L.A.-based New Millennium Press. After other studios, including Paramount, expressed interest in the project, Columbia acquired film rights from Viner, leaving New Millennium with audio rights to the book.

Sanaa Lathan , Denzel Washington in the MGM thriller "Out of Time"

Sanaa Lathan will take one of the female leads opposite Denzel Washington in the MGM thriller "Out of Time" for director Carl Franklin.

Additionally, Dean Cain is in negotiations to join the cast of the film, which begins shooting next month in Florida with Original Films producing.

Written by Dave Collard, "Time" stars Washington as Marty Walsh, a small-town police officer who gets caught in affairs with two women: Detective Alex Cole (Eva Mendes) and his old high school flame Ann Harrison (Lathan). Cain would play Ann's ex-husband Chris Harrison, a former football player and homecoming king back when he, Ann and Marty were in high school.

Original Films' Neal Moritz is producing along with Franklin's producing partner and wife, Jesse Beaton. Damian Saccani and John Berg are executive producing.

Lathan, repped by WMA and manager Emily Gerson-Saines, next stars in Fox Searchlight's "Brown Sugar." Her credits include "Love & Basketball," "The Wood," "The Best Man" and HBO's "Disappearing Acts." Cain is repped by Writers & Artists.

Sony Takes Over Marvel-Based 'Ghost Rider'

Sony Pictures, riding high with its adaptation of Marvel Comics' "Spider-Man," is in negotiations to take all rights to Marvel's "Ghost Rider" from Dimension Films, which placed the project in turnaround.

At Dimension, Steve Norrington and Nicolas Cage were attached to direct and star in the film, respectively. Both are no longer involved, though Columbia and Marvel hope that Cage will still be interested to play the title role of a former motorcycle stuntman who agrees to let his body become host to a vengeful spirit in exchange for the safety of his true love.

"Ghost Rider" is a story about Johnny Blaze, who makes a "Devil and Daniel Webster"-like pact in an effort to save someone he loves. The devil tricks Blaze into a deal that's not exactly what it's said to be. However, part of the pact bestows supernatural qualities on Johnny, who transforms into a ghost rider on a journey to reclaim his life, his love and his soul.

Sony also is negotiating with scribe Shane Salerno, one of the scribes with a writing credit on the "Shaft" remake, to pen a screenplay based on the property.

Marvel Studios CEO Avi Arad said, "Once again, I am very happy to be in business with Sony,". "And I hope they are just as happy to be in business with me. This is a big, exciting story that has some spectacular visual effects. It's one of the most stunningly visual comic books in our collection."

"Spider-Man," meanwhile, continues to stretch its legs toward a $300 million domestic tally in less than three weeks of release.

Marvel has a deal with Artisan to create 15 features or TV series based on Marvel characters. Marvel also is aligned with Universal for next summer's tentpole picture "The Hulk," directed by Ang Lee and starring Eric Bana, Nick Nolte and Jennifer Connelly; and with Fox on "Daredevil," starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner.

Freaky Friday For Annette Bening

Annette Bening has signed to star in "Freaky Friday," the Walt Disney Co. remake of the classic family comedy.

Bening will take on the role of a widowed mother who constantly argues with her tomboy teen. When she and her daughter reveal their desire to escape their situation, they suddenly exchange bodies. But with Bening's character due to get married, the two are forced to figure out a way to remedy the dilemma.

The original "Freaky Friday," released in 1976, starred Barbara Harris and a young Jodie Foster as her daughter.

The "Freaky Friday" remake is being directed by Mark S. Waters ("The House of Yes") and was written by Heather Hach. Andrew Gunn is producing through his studio-based Gunn Films, while Disney production president Nina Jacobson, senior vp Karen Glass and director Kristin Burr are overseeing for the studio.

For Bening, the project marks her first big-screen role in two years; she last appeared in Columbia Pictures' "What Planet Are You From?" Bening is a two-time Oscar and three-time Golden Globe nominee. Her credits include such hits as "American Beauty," "The American President," "Bugsy" and "The Grifters." Bening is repped by CAA.

'Action Newsman' Will Ferrell

This just in: Will Ferrell, in his first deal since announcing his departure from "Saturday Night Live," will star in the romantic comedy "Action Newsman."

He will portray Ron Burgundy, a 1970s anchorman with raging hormones, perfect hair and inflated ego in the vein of Austin Powers. He's the most beloved teleprompter reader in Portland until he's threatened by the arrival of an ambitious female newscaster who, unlike Burgundy, has mastered journalism.

Ferrell co-wrote "Action Newsman" with "SNL" writer Adam McKay, who will direct the project for Fox-based Regency.

Ferrell's trademark roles on "SNL" included President Bush, "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek and a supercharged male cheerleader. He left the latenight laffer, which concluded its season last Saturday, after seven years in order to pursue movie roles.

He starred with "SNL" castmate Chris Kattan in "A Night at the Roxbury" and also appeared in "The Ladies Man" and "Drowning Mona." He is set to topline New Line's comic fantasy "Elf," portraying a man raised as an elf.

Ice Cube To Rewrite And Executive Produce MGM's 'Race'

Multihyphenate Ice Cube is in negotiations to come aboard to rewrite and executive produce with Matt Alvarez through their company CubeVision the MGM comedy feature "Race" for Hyde Park Entertainment.

The project, aiming for a fall start, is set to go out to actors and directors. "Race" reteams Cube with MGM, the studio for which he recently wrapped shooting the lead role in the comedy "Barbershop." Cube will not take on acting duties in "Race."

Set on the NASCAR circuit, "Race" is a fish-out-of-water story about a cab driver who finds himself the only black participating in a stock-car race.

Jason Filardi wrote the original draft for the project, to be produced by Hyde Park toppers David Hoberman and Ashok Amritraj. Hyde Park senior vp production Todd Leiberman will co-produce. MGM president of production Alex Gartner and Eric Paquette are overseeing the project.

Cube is expected to executive produce the soundtrack to "Race." Cube, repped by CAA, next stars in New Line's "Friday After Next," which he wrote and produced through CubeVision.

Warner Bros., Wolfgang Petersen In Ender's Game

Warner Bros. has made a deal for "The Perfect Storm" director Wolfgang Petersen to bring Orson Scott Card's prize-winning series of science-fiction bestsellers "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow" to the bigscreen.

Card will write the first script draft for a film Petersen hopes to direct. The author is embarking on a separate deal with the Warners Consumer Products Division to hatch a series of computer and video games based on the futuristic series.

The "Ender's Game" series begins as two alien attacks have nearly wiped out the human race and a frantic world government trains children for war by teaching them a competitive game that's a cross between "Harry Potter's" quidditch matches and "Star Wars" Jedi light saber battles. The best players become rivals vying to lead the world against the aliens.

"There is great potential for a variation of what I did with 'The Neverending Story,' which was about a little boy saving the world," Petersen said.

Card originated "Ender's Game" as a short story in 1977, and published the first novel in 1985, winning both the Hugo and Nebula awards. While the book spawned two novel series and has remained a favorite of sci-fi fans, Card has routinely nixed film offers that have been coming since the first book.

"Wolfgang completely understood the book, and my children grew up on 'Neverending Story' so I knew he could direct performances out of young children," Card said.

'Edgardo Mortara' With Javier Bardem and Anthony Hopkins

Javier Bardem and Anthony Hopkins are in negotiations to star next fall in the fact-based Miramax Films period drama "Edgardo Mortara" for director Damien O'Donnell.

Set in June 1858, the picture tells, police in Bologna, Italy, "kidnapped" a six-year-old Jewish boy, tearing him away from his distraught parents. Edgardo Mortara had been secretly baptized by a Gentile servant girl years before, according to the police.

In accordance with the law forbidding "Christian" children from being raised by Jews, Edgardo was removed and began his strange odyssey that led from the struggles for Italian unification to the eve of the Holocaust.

Bardem, who received a best actor Oscar nomination for his performance in "Before Night Falls," will next be seen in John Malkovich's directorial debut, "The Dancer Upstairs." Hopkins will next be seen in "Bad Company" and "Red Dragon."