"Susanne Bier, one of Denmark's most influential filmmakers, will direct "Things We Lost in the Fire" for DreamWorks. Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") is producing from Allan Loeb's spec script. The story centers on a woman whose husband suddenly dies; she invites her husband's troubled best friend to live with her family, and as the friend turns his life around, he helps the grief-stricken family confront their loss..." (full details)
"German uber-producer Bernd Eichinger ("Downfall", "The Elementary Particles") revealed at the Berlin Film Festival this weekend that he is working on a script about Germany's Red Army Faction, the left-wing terrorist group that carried out bombings, bank robberies, kidnappings and assassinations in Germany in the late 1960s and '70s. He is adapting "Der Baader Meinhof Komplex," a nonfiction best-seller from famed German journalist Stefan Aust that chronicles the rise and fall of the so-called RAF..." (full details)
"New Regency has bought Dave H. Johnson's pitch "Man Wedding" in a multi-studio auction in which bidding reached the mid-six figures. Details on the pitch were being closely held, but it follows the "Wedding Crashers" template of combining nuptials with male-driven comedy. "Man Wedding" is the third pitch the scribe has sold, following "Sweet Child of Mine" to Paramount and an untitled comedy at 20th Century Fox..." (full details)
"DreamWorks Pictures has picked up "Click" and "Bruce Almighty" scribe Steve Koren's pitch "1,000 Words". Story centers on a glib man who comes to discover that he only has 1,000 words left to speak before he dies. Project will be produced by Saturn Films' partners Nicolas Cage and Norm Golightly along with WAM Films' Alain Chabat and Stephanie Danan..." (full details)
