Muccino mans Universal's 'Wife'

Shamberg, Sher to produce 'Man'

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Muccino

Universal Pictures has set Gabriele Muccino to direct "Man and Wife," a Lorene Scafaria-scripted love story to be produced by Double Feature partners Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher as well as Domenico Procacci.

The Brooklyn-set film will shoot this summer.

Muccino, the Italian helmer who made his U.S. studio debut with "The Pursuit of Happyness," will make "Man and Wife" his next film. He sparked to the plotline, which stresses an immigrant's love for the U.S. "Diving into this culture is something I've enjoyed doing, but there is nothing more universal than love, and this is about how love can wake a man up like nothing else," Muccino told Daily Variety. Shamberg and Sher bought the project as a pitch, before Double Feature moved from Universal to its current home at Paramount. The producers are coming off "World Trade Center," "Freedom Writers" and "Reno 911!: Miami."

Scafaria has also written "Sweet Relief," a Paramount project that has Kirsten Dunst attached to play Marla Ruzicka, a relief worker slain by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Scafaria also scripted "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist," which Peter Sollett will direct for Focus.

Muccino's repped by CAA, Scafaria by WMA.