Palm hires 'Housekeeper'

Icelandic pic also gets pickup

By DANA HARRIS

HOLLYWOOD -- Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures has acquired all North American rights excluding French-speaking Canada to Claude Berri's "The Housekeeper," and all North American rights to Dagur Kari's "Noi the Albino."

Repped by Pathe Intl., "The Housekeeper" is a comedy about a lonely sound engineer who takes on a housekeeper after his wife leaves him. Although she admits she's never done a day of housework in her life, the arrangement works well -- and even better when the two begin sleeping together. Palm plans a summer release.

The Co-Production Office repped "Noi the Albino," a black comedy about an albino teen growing up in a remote fjord of northern Iceland. Palm will release it this fall.

Palm's upcoming theatrical releases include Matthew Barney's "Cremaster Cycle," supernatural thriller "The Eye" and "The Last Minute" by Stephen Norrington.