'Voice' pair tunes up future projects

Helmer pursues Santa comedy

By MICHAEL FLEMING

"Raise Your Voice" director Sean McNamara and his producing partner David Brookwell are raising coin to co-finance a quartet of follow-up features.

First up is "Better Watch Out," a holiday black comedy about Santa's greedy twin brother. McNamara will direct; Annie de Young and Max Enscoe wrote the script; and Ian Bryce ("Spider-Man" and "The Island") will produce.

Through Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, the duo cut their teeth exec producing the long-running Disney Channel series "Even Stevens" and "That's So Raven." Still busy in TV, they're about to launch the female soccer series "Head to Toe" for Noggin and the surfing school saga "Boarding School" for tweener-themed N Channel.

But the duo's new emphasis is features. They got lucky by landing Hilary Duff for "Raise Your Voice," which New Line opened in wide release on Friday; pic grossed an estimated $4.6 million on 2,521 screens its first weekend, good for sixth place.

"We gave Hilary her first movie job, the direct-to-video 'Casper Meets Wendy,' and that led her to 'Lizzie Maguire,' " McNamara said. "When we offered this to her, her mother, Susan Duff, said, 'You gave our baby her first job, sure we'll do it.' We made 'Raise Your Voice' for just under $15 million, with us raising half the money and New Line paying the other half. We will use that formula on our next films as well."

After he directs "Better Watch Out," McNamara will follow with "Pope Jack," a Bud Weiser and Patt Shea script about what happens when the newly elected pope turns out to have been married.

He'll also helm "Death Takes a Vacation," a Gil Christner-scripted comedy revolving around the grim reaper's decision to take three days off in a resort town.

The duo also wrote the story for "Daytona Cabbie," about a cab driver who winds up competing in NASCAR, and will produce with Bill Todman Jr. John Warren is writing it and also will be a producer.