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Posted: Tue., Jun. 27, 2006, 9:00pm PT

Helmer takes the indie lead

Woodruff to tango with Mayhem on dance pic

Bille Woodruff

Woodruff

"Beauty Shop" helmer Bille Woodruff is in talks to direct the Mayhem Project's untitled dance project, which Duane Adler ("Save the Last Dance") is scripting.

Story revolves around a young woman who moves to a big city with dreams of becoming a professional dancer and falls into performing a hot, new style of dance.

Mayhem Project chairman-CEO Anthony Mosawi and prexy of production Brad Luff are producing. Adler co-produces. Mayhem exec Jennifer Rogers is supervising for the company.

Mosawi said the project was born out of meetings with buyers at the American Film Market last year.

"They were looking for a female-driven dance movie more akin to 'Flashdance' than the teen dance movies that were in the marketplace," he told Daily Variety.

Woodruff's feature credits include MGM's Queen Latifah laffer "Beauty Shop" as well as Universal's Jessica Alba starrer "Honey."

In addition to "Save the Last Dance," Adler also penned dance pic "Step Up," due out in August from Disney.

The Mayhem Project is producing "Clock Tower," based on the Japanese vidgame, with Jorge Olguin directing this fall. Shingle was launched last June by Mosawi -- formerly the chief operating officer of Paramount-based Mutual Film Co. -- with a mandate to produce and finance high-concept genre films. Company is backed by two U.K.-based hedge funds.

Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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