U taps scribe for 'Psycho' duties

'Tomorrow's' Nachmanoff to pen action-thriller

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Universal Pictures has bought screen rights to the DC graphic novel "The Psycho," and the studio has set Jeffrey Nachmanoff to draft the film.

"The Psycho" is an action-thriller about a government agent who uncovers a technology being used to genetically turn people into super-humans.

Nachmanoff co-wrote "The Day After Tomorrow" with Roland Emmerich.

Pic will be produced by Circle of Confusion's David Engel, with Lawrence Mattis and Jason Lust exec producing.

Nachmanoff, who has written several unproduced political thriller scripts, directed 2001 indie pic "Hollywood Palms."

His luck changed dramatically when Emmerich invited him to help destroy the northern hemisphere. Their script for "The Day After Tomorrow" sparked one of the most lucrative spec package deals in years, and the film opened to $86 million over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

"I didn't know much about disaster movies, but I didn't need to because Roland does that kind of action very well already," Nachmanoff said. "I concentrated on the characters. It was gracious for Roland to keep me on through the whole ride."

Of the f/x-heavy "Psycho," he said, "It is a contemporary but altered reality like 'The Matrix,' but what I most liked is the moral quandary of the protagonist, who ends up having to become what he despises when he takes this drug."

The three-issue series was published in 1991 and created by James Hudnall and Dan Brereton. Hudnall, whose "Harsh Realm" comic was turned into a TV series by Chris Carter, and Brereton also will be involved as producers. U's Scott Stuber and Jeffrey Kirshenbaum will shepherd the pic.