Brickman eyes 'Providence'
'Business' helmer could make pic his first directorial project in 8 years
Paul Brickman, the sought-after but rarely committing director of "Risky Business," is zeroing in on the comedy drama "Providence" as his first directorial project in eight years, sources said.
Pic, ripped from a front-page newspaper feature, is based on the real-life story of two young film school grads who are given $3 million to make their first pic by a mysterious benefactor. After the shoot in Providence, R.I., is canceled, they discover that they have been innocent players in a sting operation organized by the FBI.
The film is currently in development at Touchstone Pictures, with Jeff Nathanson ("Speed 2: Cruise Control") scripting. Producers are Permut Presentations' David Permut and Larry Brezner, a partner in the management/production company Morra, Brezner, Steinberg and Tenenbaum (MBST), which has an overall deal at Touchstone.
Brickman came to attention with 1983's "Business," which starred a then-unknown Tom Cruise alongside Rebecca DeMornay. His only other film is the Jessica Lange drama "Men Don't Leave," which was released in 1990.
Permut was a producer on last summer's action hit "Face/Off," starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Brezner's producing credits include Touchstone's "Good Morning, Vietnam" and Orion Pictures' "Throw Momma From the Train." Permut would not comment and Brezner didn't return a phone call.
