"New Line Cinema has set Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to produce "Hairspray," the film version of the hit Tony-winning musical that is set for a mid-2005 start in Baltimore and 2006 release. Musical feature will be the first for the producers since they guided the Oscar-winning "Chicago" for Miramax..." (full details)

"Lions Gate Films has teamed with Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's 2929 Entertainment to co-finance and distribute "Akeelah and the Bee." Pic, to star Laurence Fishburne and Keke Palmer, concerns an 11-year-old from South Los Angeles whose journey to compete in the National Spelling Bee unites her community. Doug Atchison will direct from his own script, which won..." (full details)

"Mandalay Entertainment has optioned film rights to the upcoming book "The Hookup Handbook: A Single Girl's Guide to Living It Up" for Alan Riche and Peter Riche to produce through their Sunrise Entertainment banner. The part satire and part field guide, written by New Yorkers Jessica Rozler and Andrea Lavinthal, postulates how in the modern world of singles looking for love, formal "dating" has been replaced by the more casual "hooking up"..." (full details)

"Talent, production and finance entity Relativity Management has come on board with Asgaard Entertainment to finance director Jason Todd Ipson's "The First Vampire," a horror feature set in 4th century Scandinavia. It is scheduled to lens in the first quarter of 2005..." (full details)

Thanks to 'KC'.