The Hollywood Reporter

Aug. 03, 2005

“Gere tends 'Flock' for helmer Lau”

By Borys Kit

Richard Gere has signed on to star in "The Flock," a $35 million thriller that will mark the English-language debut of Hong Kong director Andrew Lau (Wai Keung Lau).

Bauer Martinez, run by Philippe Martinez, is fully financing the film and will distribute via the studio's recently launched distribution entity, Bauer Martinez Distribution, with foreign sales being handled by Bauer Martinez International.

"Flock" follows a hypervigilant federal agent (Gere) who, while training his young female replacement, must track down a missing girl who he is convinced is connected to a paroled sex offender he is investigating. Hans Bauer and Craig Mitchell wrote the script.

Martinez will serve as producer on the film along with Eli Samaha, Jeanette Kahn, Adam Richman and Lau. ICM packaged the film, which Bauer Martinez is planing to release in fall 2006.

The company hopes to release 12 films in the U.S. next year; its slate of upcoming films includes "The Groomsmen," written and directed by Ed Burns and starring Burns and Brittany Murphy; and "Land of the Blind," starring Ralph Fiennes and Donald Sutherland. The company is in production on "I Could Never Be Your Woman," starring Michelle Pfeiffer and directed by Amy Heckerling. The film began principal photography this week in London.

ICM-repped Gere is in Manhattan shooting "The Hoax," in which he plays author Clifford Irving, who sold a bogus biography of Howard Hughes in the 1970s and touched off a media frenzy. Gere won a Golden Globe for his performance in " Chicago."

Lau is repped by Endeavor. He is best known for directing the Hong Kong movie "Infernal Affairs," which starred Andy Lau.