Willis ascending Schulman's 'Summit'

Thesp stars in new Relativity drama

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Bruce Willis will star in "Morgan's Summit," a drama written and to be directed by Tom Schulman. Shooting starts in L.A. in early spring.

Laura Ziskin will produce the film, a co-production between her Laura Ziskin Prods. and Relativity, which arranged the film's financing. Relativity's Ryan Kavanaugh and Lynwood Spinks will exec produce. Arclight is handling international financing.

Willis will play a radio host whose latenight show is devoted to songs and stories that promote the power of kindness. His devotion to redemption changes when a brutal crime affects his life, and his thoughts turn to vengeance.

Schulman, who won the Oscar for writing "Dead Poets Society," last directed "Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag." Ziskin previously worked with him on "What About Bob?"

Pic has already sold distribution rights to a number of countries, including Germany (Telepool), France (SND), Spain (Manga), Scandinavia (Nordisk), Benelux (Dutch Filmworks) and Eastern Europe (Revolutionary Releasing).

Relativity most recently facilitated a multipic co-financing deal for Warner Bros. Pictures and another deal for Marvel Enterprises, which secured a seven-year $525 million revolving credit facility with Merrill Lynch Commercial Finance Group. Relativity also exec produced and arranged financing for Mark Canton's Atmosphere to produce the George Romero-directed genre hit "Land of the Dead."