Senator flies with 'Birds in Fall'

Company, Red Om to adapt Kessler novel

By DAVE MCNARY

Senator Entertainment has acquired film rights to Brad Kessler's novel "Birds in Fall" and will produce the drama with Julia Roberts' Red Om Films.

Dennis Lee, who made his directorial debut on "Fireflies in the Garden," has signed to adapt and direct.

Senator topper Marco Weber and Red Om's Philip Rose will produce with Senator exec Vanessa Coifman. Red Om's Lisa Gillan is exec producing.

Story centers on the inn near a fatal plane crash site that becomes the surrogate home for the mourning families and a female character who finds comfort and hope in the company of the other surviving family members

Project re-teams Senator and Red Om, which recently completed production on "Fireflies," which recently wrapped and stars Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Emily Watson, Willem Dafoe, Ioan Gruffudd, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Shannon Lucio. The film will be released later this year.

Senator announced last week it's fast-tracking an adaptation of Capcom's vidgame franchise "Clock Tower" with Martin Weisz directing. It recently acquired distribution rights in North America, Germany, and Spain for sci-fi thriller "Splice" and is in post-production on "The Informers," starring Billy Bob Thornton and Kim Basinger.