Heyman scouts for Nefertiti romancer

Pic will be based on Osman's 'Secret History' book

By JANET FINE

CAIRO -- British producer John Heyman wants to take on Egyptian history for his next film, telling the story of beautiful Queen Nefertiti and her affair with Pharaoh Akhenaten -- who may or may not have been the same person as Moses.

"One can find in the Old Testament that Moses and Nefertiti had a relationship," said Heyman during a trip to Cairo to scout locations for the film based on Ahmed Osman's 1990 book "Moses and Akhenaten: The Secret History of Egypt at the Time of the Exodus."

"It will also deal with the cult sun god worship Aten's monotheistic doctrine that Moses most likely adopted when he led the people out of Egypt," Heyman explained.

The film is skedded to be directed by Brit director Hugh Hudson ("Chariots of Fire") and start shooting early next year along the Nile in Upper Egypt, according to Heyman. Pic will also utilize the Egyptian Media Production City studios, which house a replica of Tel Al-Amarna, the city built by the pharaoh as his new capital.

"My argument is controversial and not widespread among many Egyptologists," says Egypt-born Osman, who has lived in London for the past 20 years. "But I have collected evidence proving that Akhenaten and Moses are the same person, which so far nobody has been able to contest."

Heyman is no stranger to religious-themed films, having produced the 1979 pic "Jesus," filmed on location in Israel in biblical settings.