Kate Hudson to star in 'Big Eyes'

Actress to play painter Margaret Keane in film

Kate Hudson is set to star in "Big Eyes," the independently financed film about painter Margaret Keane.

Pic marks the feature directing debut of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski; the duo also penned the script (Daily Variety, Oct. 15).

Production is tentatively slated for June, depending on the prospects for the resolution of a new SAG contract.

Hudson will play Keane, the painter whose distinctive creations featuring big-eyed children became one of art's first mass-market success stories in the 1950s. The drama covers Keane's personal awakening at the onset of the feminist movement, leading to a lawsuit she filed against her husband, Walter, who claimed credit for her works.

The film is being produced by Dan Halsted, Bonafide partners Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, and Andrew Meieran, the latter of whom put up the financing on the film through his Bureau of Moving Pictures banner.

The producers just engaged Nicolas Chartier's Voltage Pictures to broker territory sales at the European Film Market in Berlin. Domestic rights will be sold later.

Voltage, started by Chartier and Dean Devlin in 2005, just wrapped the Kathryn Bigelow-directed "The Hurt Locker," and will be in Berlin repping "Phoebe in Wonderland," "Spread" and the horror pic "Open Graves."

Hudson, who opens Friday opposite Matthew McConaughey in the Andy Tennant-directed "Fool's Gold," next stars in the Gary Winick-directed New Regency comedy "Bride Wars."

Alexander and Karaszewski penned "1408" and "Ed Wood."

Source: Variety