Catherine Zeta-Jones is in talks to star in "Smoke and Mirrors" for Initial Entertainment Group. Written by Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler, pic will be directed by Kevin Brodie ("A Dog of Flanders").
IEG, which will finance the project, acquired the script from Brodie's Farren Entertainment. Both the purchase price and the pic's budget were unavailable.
"Smoke and Mirrors" will be produced by Joel Douglas and Brodie through their joint production company, Prostar, with IEG handling worldwide rights. IEG CEO Graham King will serve as executive producer with Andreas Klein.
Based on true events, "Smoke and Mirrors" concerns famed French illusionist Jean Robert-Houdin and his beautiful young partner Collette, who are sent to Algeria by his country's government in the 1850s. Their mission: to expose a religious sorcerer who is inciting revolution against the French colonials. IEG's David A. Jones brought the project into the company.
Lee Batchler and Janet Scott Batchler received story credit for the 1995's "Batman Forever."
IEG is partnered with Germany's Splendid Films to develop a slate of big-ticket fare through acquisitions and productions. Slate includes "Traffic," starring Harrison Ford, to be distributed domestically by Fox Searchlight and internationally by IEG, and Robert Altman's "Dr. T and the Women," starring Richard Gere.
IEG also hopes to put Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, into production later in the year.
Zeta-Jones has an exclusive two-year production deal with IEG through her recently renamed Milkwood Films banner.
Colin Cotter, chief operating officer of IEG, negotiated the pact along with Brodie on behalf of Farren Entertainment.
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