Hooper tapped to face 'Death' project

Pic a farcical take on world of career criminals

By DANA HARRIS

Hooper

CANNES -- Tobe Hooper, director of the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," will direct the dark comedy "Planning Lawrence Fankhauser's Death" for Etchie Stroh's Moonstone Entertainment and Alain Jakubowicz. Pic is intended as the first of an ongoing partnership.

Penned by Steven Sessions, pic is a farcical take on the world of career criminals attempting to move up the food chain. Hooper and Stroh will develop the project with Jakubowicz, who served as the editor of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

Zuckerman Entertainment's Andrew Pfeffer and Donald Zuckerman ("The Man From Elysian Fields") brought the project to Stroh and will produce. Exec producer Stroh reps the film for worldwide sales.

Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes and Radar Pictures are currently remaking Hooper's "Texas Chainsaw," which screened in the Directors Fortnight at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival and is part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection.

Moonstone Entertainment also produced Alan Rudolph's "Afterglow," Robert Altman's "Cookie's Fortune," Mike Figgis' "Hotel" and Michael Radford's "Dancing at the Blue Iguana."