Posted: Sun., Jan. 28, 2007, 7:00pm PT

HDNet, De Palma team for 'Redacted'

Director to write project on Iraq war

Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban's HDNet Films has tapped Brian De Palma to write and direct "Redacted," a feature about the Iraq war.

Project will begin lensing in the spring in Jordan.

Magnolia Pictures will release the pic day-and-date next fall in theaters (which will include Landmark outlets and others), via HDNet on TV and through Magnolia Home Entertainment for video.

The film will be a montage of stories about U.S. soldiers fighting in the conflict.

"Redacted" will focus on the modern forms of media covering the war. Blogs, Web reporting and other aspects unique to the conflict will be featured heavily, producers said.

No cast has yet been attached. Project will be shot in high-def.

Jason Kliot and Joana Vicente of HDNet Films will produce along with the Film Farm's Simone Urdl and Jennifer Weiss.

Despite a distribution plan similar to that of Steven Soderbergh's "Bubble" -- the first HDNet Films day-and-date experiment, last year-- Kliot said the company expected a wider release and more commercial resonance because of the relevance of the topic.

HDNet films most recently produced Sundance pics "Fay Grim" and "Broken English."

De Palma and HDNet came together because of the company's ability to move projects forward quickly. "We're able to do this because we don't have a studio apparatus," Kliot said. "That's very important with a subject that's in the news and changes so quickly."


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