U heading 'Downtown'

Goldsman to rewrite Crowe pic

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Frank

Two of Hollywood's top-tier writers, Scott Frank and Akiva Goldsman, are about to start work on rewrites of Ron Howard projects for Universal.

In the first, Frank will rewrite Playtone's Alan Ball-scripted period drama "Downtown." The intention is to reteam "Apollo 13" star Tom Hanks and director Howard.

In the other, Goldsman, who won an adapted screenplay Oscar for last year's "A Beautiful Mind," will rework "Cinderella Man," the Depression era boxing film about Jim Braddock that is expected to star Russell Crowe. U is partnering on that pic with Miramax.

Ball was originally conscripted by Playtone partners Hanks and Gary Goetzman to write "Downtown" after he won his screenplay Oscar for "American Beauty."

"Downtown" is about a gay cop in the early 1960s who investigates the death of his lover in Cleveland. The plan is for Hanks to play the detective.

Howard will get a new draft from Frank, whose screen credits include "Out of Sight," and, most recently "Minority Report."