Locklear gets her 'Gunn'

Thesp to star as rich party girl forced to find a real job

By DAVID BLOOM

Locklear

Heather Locklear has signed to play the hard-charging record exec and mother of Dakota Fanning's character in MGM's upcoming comedy, "Molly Gunn." Brittany Murphy has already signed to fill title role in pic directed by Boaz Yakin. The pic is shooting in New York City, with a 2003 release skedded.

Murphy's character is a formerly rich party girl forced to find a real job when her manager absconds with her fortune. Locklear's career-obsessed mom hires Murphy's character to be nanny to worldly but lonely Fanning.

Role is a bit of a shift for one of TV's most reliable stars, seen most recently on ABC comedy "Spin City," where her three-year stint led to a Golden Globe nomination. She previously starred on evening sudsers "Melrose Place," where she received three other Golden Globe noms, and "Dynasty," as well as cop show "T.J. Hooker." She currently is being hotly pursued by three nets and a studio hoping to lock her into a million-dollar-plus deal to star in a series to be created later. Locklear was repped in the "Gunn" deal by ICM and Joan Green Management.

MGM and GreeneStreet Films are making "Molly Gunn," produced by John Penotti, Fisher Stevens and Allison Jacobs, with Joe Caracciolo and Tim Williams as exec producers. Jacobs created the story that was basis of Julia Dahl's script, which has been revised by Mo Ogrodnik and Lisa Davidowitz.