WB forges new U.K. link with producer Heyman

By TED JOHNSON

Moving to strengthen it ties with filmmakers in Britain and Western Europe, Warner Bros. has signed a first-look deal with producer David Heyman, who will be based in London.

Heyman, who was a production executive at Warner Bros. in the late 1980s, will develop creative material and identify potential co-productions, as well as small films and filmmakers, through his production company, Heyday Films.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Bill Gerber, Warner Bros. worldwide presidents of production, said in a statement that Heyman "will be our eyes and ears in Great Britain. He will be our liaison between England and the United States, helping to secure financing for certain productions and developing properties from the huge existing War-ner Bros. library, things that could more effectively be produced in the U.K. than in the U.S."

Heyman, a British native who has spent 17 years in the U.S., most recently has been an independent producer on such films as "Juice" and "The Daytrippers," the latter named best picture at the 1996 Deauville Film Festival. Heyman had been at Warner Bros. for two years before joining United Artists in 1987 as production VP.

Edward Frumkes, president of Warner Bros. Intl. Theatrical Distribution, said in a statement that the agreement "is an acknowledgment of Warner Bros.' increasingly global audience, and our awareness of the immense talent and materials pool that exists in the United Kingdom."