Team baits 'Trap'

Odd Lot, Hyde Park partner on slate

By DANA HARRIS

Odd Lot Entertainment and Hyde Park Entertainment will produce and cofinance the Iain Softley-directed "Trap for Cinderella," with Hyde Park Intl. handling distribution and foreign sales.

Pic is part of a new joint venture that plans to produce multiple titles from the companies' development slates over the next 12-18 months.

"Cinderella," which comes from the Odd Lot roster, is the story of a suspicious fire that traps two young women. One dies; the survivor is burned beyond recognition and left with amnesia. Plastic surgery gives her a new face, but suspicions arise that she may not have been a victim.

Chris Gerolmo ("Mississippi Burning") adapted the novel by Sebastien Japrisot ("A Very Long Engagement"). Softley, who is co-writer of the script, is also one of the producers. Gaumont previously adapted the novel for the 1965 French-language release "A Trap for Cinderella."

Producing the joint venture's films are Odd Lot's founding partners, Gigi Pritzker and Deborah Del Prete, and Hyde Park chairman Ashok Amritraj with prexy Jon Jashni. Lisa Wilson heads foreign sales for Hyde Park.

Hyde Park is in pre-production on romantic heist pic "Monkeyface" starring Richard Gere and psychological thriller "Premonition," both of which are wholly financed by Hyde Park.

Hyde Park cofinanced Touchstone Pictures' upcoming "Shopgirl" starring Steve Martin and DreamWorks' "Dreamer" starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning. Both are scheduled for October release. U.K.-based funds group Brass Hat provides production financing exclusively to Hyde Park.

Odd Lot produced "Hooligans" starring Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam, which won the jury and audience awards at the 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival. Odd Lot is prepping "A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing," written by Marc Klein and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.