Political pair at Random

House slates two political pix

By IAN MOHR

'The Attack'

A correction was made to this article on Feb. 14, 2006.

After teaming to create production entity Random House Films late last year, Bertelsmann's Random House and NBC Universal's Focus Features have selected two upcoming politically themed tomes -- Yasmina Khadra's "The Attack" and Bob Drogin's "Curveball" -- as the partnership's first feature projects.

Set in contempo Tel Aviv, "Attack" will be adapted from the novel penned by Mohammed Moulessehoul, a former Algerian army officer who writes under the Khadra pen name. Story centers on an Arab surgeon who learns a devastating secret about his wife in the aftermath of a suicide bombing.

Novel -- which has sold more than 100,000 copies in France via Editions Julliard -- will be published domestically by Nan A. Talese/Doubleday in May.

John Wells will produce the pic.

Second project heading into development will be "Curveball," adapted from investigative reporter Bob Drogin's upcoming nonfiction title of the same name.

"Curveball" is named after the Iraqi informant whose information about biological weapons was used by the U.S. government to justify the war in Iraq.

Drogin's book -- to be published by Random House fall 2007 in the U.S. and other territories -- expands on the front-page story the reporter broke for the Los Angeles Times after exploring the flawed U.S. intelligence leading up to the war.

Random House Films prexy Peter Gethers said that choosing two politically minded projects as the label's initial ventures was "partially coincidental" but also reflects the new banner's tastes.

"They are very, very different animals," he added of the two pics. "And they were acquired very differently. But we are learning to work together with Focus as partners and learning their tastes and what fits their profile."

Focus recently had luck with another political movie with international overtones, "The Constant Gardener," which is up for four Oscars. U division has relationships with a stable of international auteurs, including Fernando Meirelles, Mira Nair, Ang Lee, Walter Salles and Michel Gondry.

Speaking of the Random House projects, Focus prexy of production John Lyons said, "They're the kind of emotionally compelling and thought-provoking films that we'll be making."

The multiyear partnership between the publishing and film units -- created by Focus heads James Schamus and David Linde and Random House CEO Peter Olson -- calls for the publishing giant to co-produce and co-finance a slate of pics with Focus based on books the parties jointly acquire.

Both sides then have a say in the script development, director selection, production and marketing, and Focus -- or its genre arm Rogue -- handles worldwide distribution and sales.

Gethers said the partners are searching for writers and directors to attach to their first two pics; up to three more properties are already in the works.