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Monkeyface is the name of a racehorse, and the script by David Harris revolves around knocking off a racetrack. Stephen Frears will direct. Any similarity to the Stanley Kubrick classic 'The Killing' is purely uncredited and intentional.
Douglas and Zeta-Jones play conniving hustlers who are at first adversarial. Frears covered this territory in the film 'The Grifters', but 'Monkeyface' is not as ruthless, with romance and double-crosses mixed in equal measure.
Bickford will produce the film with Mark Shorrock, the latter of whom developed the script for several years with David Kennaway. Kennaway is co-producing with Allen Burry of Douglas' Furthur Films.
Shorrock and Kennaway brought the project to Bickford, who enlisted Douglas and Zeta Jones. A horse race was taking place over the weekend for distribution rights to the film, with several studios jockeying.
Zeta Jones, who has drawn raves for her singing and hoofing abilities in 'Chicago', will make 'Monkeyface' the first film she does after she and Douglas welcome their second child, who's due in April.
Zeta Jones recently starred with George Clooney in the Joel and Ethan Coen-directed Universal film 'Intolerable Cruelty'. While she and Douglas appeared in separate story arcs of 'Traffic', 'Monkeyface' will be the couple's first real onscreen pairing.
Douglas recently completed a true family affair in the Fred Schepisi-directed 'It Runs in the Family', starring alongside his dad, Kirk Douglas, mother Diana Douglas and his son Cameron Douglas in the MGM comedy. He also starred with Albert Brooks in the Andy Fleming-directed 'Wedding Party' for Warner Bros.
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