"Leonor Varela ("Blade," "Innocent Voices"), is set to topline romantic boxing biopic "Pega, Martin, Pega," (Hit 'em, Martin, Hit 'em), the true-life story of the rise, fall and recovery of Martin Vargas, who fought four times over 1975 to 1985 for the flyweight boxing championship of the world. Pic spans 26 years of his life. Varela will play Vargas' wife Mireya, the love of his life. Mauricio Diocares limns the boxer. Chilean helmer Leon Errazuriz ("Mala leche") directs the book. Dario Grandinetti ("Talk to Her") plays the boxer's trainer, whilst Damian Alcazar ("El crimen de Padre Amaro") plays a Mexican journalist..." (full details)

"Olivier Martinez and Leonor Watling are attached to topline a E10 million ($12.7 million) English-lingo adaptation of the cult French novel "Belle du Seigneur." Pic which is slated to begin shooting in October in Switzerland, Italy and Germany will be helmed by first timer Glenio Bonder. Considered to be Franco-Swiss writer Albert Cohen's greatest book, "Belle du Seigneur," written in 1968, charts the tortured love affair between Solal, a high-ranking Jewish League of Nations official and the protestant wife of one of his underlings. Bonder's version will be the first time "Belle de Seigneur" is brought to the bigscreen, because the late author's family had previously refused to sell the rights..." (full details)

"Geraldine Chaplin is toplining "The Totenwackers," a $4.5 million Spanish-language children's adventure mystery directed by Ibon Cormenzana ("Jaizkibel"), which went into principal photography last week. A rare Spanish venture into family film entertainment, pic turns on a family that moves into an old house haunted by the ghost of its former owner. "Totenwackers" shoots in Barcelona through June, Natalia Sanchez ("The Serranos"), Mar Regueras ("The Weakness of the Bolshevik") and Celso Bugallo ("The Sea Inside") also star..." (full details)