Scopas, Gebeka boards 'Genie'

SAN SEBASTIAN -- Germany's Scopas Medien and France's Gebeka Films have boarded "Genie in the House -- The Movie," one of several pics on the slate of Antonio Perez's Maestranza Films. Benito Zambrano's "The Sleeping Voice," which is also produced by Maestranza, world preems to high expectations in Competition at San Sebastian Wednesday. Scopas, which made toon feature "The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams," will co-produce "Genie" with Paris-based Moi, J'aime La Television (MJTV), U.K.'s I Love Television and Maestranza. The Frankfurt-based company has also taken German-speaking territory rights. Gebeka, Gaul's preeminent theatrical distributor of children's pics, will release "Genie" in French cinemas. A 3D movie budgeted around Euros 7 million ($9.6 million), "Genie" is a big-screen spin-off from the original TV sitcom series, produced by I Love Television in English for Nickelodeon. The series' key cast will topline the film, Perez told Variety. A director is still to be attached. Genie" is skedded to roll early summer 2012, shooting in Andalusia. Another pic set up at Maestranza is "The Monkey's Paw," an English-language remake of the 1933 classic. F. Javier Gutierrez, whose debut, "Before the Fall," became a cult film in the U.S., is attached to direct. Budgeted at $7.5 million, shoot will largely take place in Spain, said Perez. "Paw," which is more of a chiller than shock horror, is initiating casting. Also, Xabi Puerta, whose debut "Welcome to Farewell-Gutmann" won best screenplay at Montreal in 2008, is now in post on "A puerta fria," a 100% Maestranza production. A "Glengarry Glen Ross"-ish movie, Perez said, "Puerta" stars Maria Valverde and Jose Luis Garca Perez. Nick Nolte is a guest star. Meanwhile, "Voice," a melodrama about the fate of woman who supported the losing Republican side in the Spanish Civil War, world preems Wednesday at San Sebastian. Buzz is positive off previews in Madrid. The Match Factory handles world sales. "Voice" was confirmed last Wednesday as one the Spanish Academy's three-pic short-list of candidates to represent Spain in the foreign-language Oscar category. Zambrano directs films that go straight to the heart, Perez said. Maestranza produced Zambrano's first two films and "Fall." Although it's now complicated, I always try to discover and produce new directors, and I'll go on doing that," Perez told Variety. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

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