Posted: Tue., Feb. 24, 2004, 9:00pm PT

Silver and Black plant 'Kiss' at WB

Downey Jr., Kilmer to star in writer's feature directing debut

By Michael Fleming

Black

Silver

A correction was made to this article on Feb. 25, 2004.

Warner Bros. is reuniting the "Lethal Weapon" team of scribe Shane Black and producer Joel Silver.

Black will make his feature directing debut on his script "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang," an action comedy to star Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan. Silver is producing and set up the project in a negative pickup deal through Silver Pictures.

Black's script sends up his patented rough-and-tumble buddy comedy formula. Downey plays a thief posing as an actor who teams up with a tough-guy private eye (Kilmer) and a frustrated actress (Monaghan). They stumble upon a murder.

"This has a great noir feel, and when was the last time there was a wonderful detective story set in L.A. that was not a period piece?" Kilmer said.

The pic marks Black's first film in a decade, his last coming with "The Long Kiss Goodnight," which New Line released in 1996.

Black told Daily Variety last fall that "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" was his first script after a long period of writer's block.

Once Black got back on track, he wrote two spec scripts. The second, "The Nice Guys," is a collaboration with Anthony Bagarozzi that was turned into a TV pilot, which Silver, Black and Bagarozzi sold in a seven-figure deal to CBS. Tommy Schlamme ("The West Wing") is exec producing and directing the pilot.

"We are going to start in one week, shooting all nights," Black said.

Downey last appeared in "Gothika," the WB thriller Silver produced. Kilmer is coming off a starring role in the Oliver Stone-directed epic about Alexander the Great for Intermedia and Warner Bros. "Kiss" marks Monaghan's first starring role. She had supporting roles in upcoming pics "The Bourne Supremacy," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" and "Constantine."