LOS ANGELES, Aug. 6 /EMWNews/ -- In a speedy turn of events since

optioning the novel in May, Phoenix Pictures has signed Adam Shankman

('Hairspray') to direct and J. Mills Goodloe to adapt the John Grisham

best-selling novel 'Playing for Pizza'. Phoenix's Mike Medavoy, Arnie

Messer and David Thwaites will produce, with Shankman's Offspring

Entertainment. Shankman and producing partner Jennifer Gibgot will serve as

executive producers. Project is a priority for the two companies, with

Shankman intending it to be the next movie he directs.



    "I'm thrilled to be working with Phoenix and John Grisham on this

adaptation. I've been wanting to do an aggressive, adult, character dramedy

for some time. Everyone in my life are insane football fanatics, so this

project is a perfect, and organic story for me and my company. We can't

wait to get started," said Shankman.



    Medavoy added, "All of us at Phoenix are very excited to be working

with Adam and Mills on this John Grisham book, which to us is reminiscent

of films like 'Jerry Maguire' and 'Bull Durham'."



    The story centers around a washed-up NFL quarterback who finds the only

job available to him is on a semi-professional team in Italy and finds

there is more to life than football.



    Shankman is repped by UTA and lawyer Alan Hergott of Bloom Hergott

Diemer Rosenthal Laviolette & Feldman. Shankman is currently in

post-production on the Adam Sandler starrer 'Bedtime Stories' for Disney,

set for a December release.



    Goodloe is repped by UTA and managed by Jeff Okin at Anonymous Content.

He recently wrote 'Wonderful Tonight' for Castle Rock, co-wrote 'Pride' for

Lions Gate, and wrote and directed 'A Gentleman's Game'.



    Phoenix Pictures is currently in production with Mikael Hafstrom's

'Shanghai' for The Weinstein Company, is in post-production on the Martin

Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio project 'Shutter Island' for Paramount, and has

enlisted Darren Aronofsky and David Self for 'RoboCop' for MGM.



    Grisham's novels have been made into numerous films, including the 'The

Firm', 'The Client', 'The Pelican Brief', 'The Chamber', 'A Time To Kill'

and 'Runaway Jury'. Grisham's first non-fiction book, 'The Innocent Man',

is in development at Warner Bros. and George Clooney's Smoke House.

Grisham's next novel, 'The Associate' is due out in January 2009.



    Contact: David Thwaites






              Phoenix Pictures

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