Par enrolls Goldwyn, Colleton for 'Prep'

Sittenfeld's story sends studios back to school

By MICHAEL FLEMING, DAVE MCNARY

Paramount has purchased film rights to "Prep," Curtis Sittenfeld's first novel, and set it with producers John Goldwyn and Sara Colleton.

Set at an elite Boston boarding school, book centers on an angst-ridden teen girl from Indiana who battles loneliness and misery with humor as she struggles to fit in.

Sittenfeld, who won the Seventeen magazine fiction writing contest in 1992 at age 16, recently signed a two-book deal with Random House.

Par exec VP Alli Shearmur is supervising "Prep" for the studio.

Paramount, MTV Films and Benderspink are developing another project called "Prep," based on Jake Coburn's novel about criminal behavior in Manhattan prep schools.

Goldwyn and Colleton are teamed on two other projects: Alexandra Robbins' "Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities" and Sabin Willett's "Present Value."

The former Par prexy, who has an exclusive production deal at the studio, is also developing a sequel to "The Italian Job"; a remake of "Le Convoyeur" with Penn Station; David Grann's "City of Water"; and Lorne Michaels projects "Curly Oxide and Vic Thrill," "Sebastian Knight" and "Mall Cops."