Duo 'Map' Henson course

Zeltser, Bickley to adapt Hodgson novel

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley will adapt Barbara Hodgson's 'The Tattooed Map.'

The Jim Henson Co. has set Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley to adapt Barbara Hodgson suspense novel "The Tattooed Map."

Deal reunites the writers with company principal Lisa Henson, who produced with Janet Yang the Fox/Regency pic "High Crimes," which Zeltser and Bickley scripted. Henson Co. has so far put up its own coin to option the book and hire the writers, and Henson will produce the pic.

"It is about a couple's relationship that is tested when they are overseas and a mysterious, tattooed map appears on the woman's body," said Zeltser. "It leads to a discovery of secrets from each other's past."

Bickley said the book's Morocco locale is being switched to India for the pic.

Summit-repped Zeltser and Bickley were nominated for a 2005 WGA Award for "Spinning Boris," the saga of three American spin doctors who ran Boris Yeltsin's re-election campaign. They are working for Pariah and Showtime on an adaptation of memoir "Fun While It Lasted," which details the rise and fall of coin dealer-film magnate Bruce McNall. Lili Zanuck is attached to direct and Gavin Polone will produce.

Zeltser just wrapped "The Circle," an indie he directed and wrote. Pic, which stars Angela Bettis and Scott Cohen, was shot on digital video, with no edits whatsoever -- it's a 96-minute feature done in one interrupted take.