John Waters, Baltimore's notorious bad boy film director, has signed a development deal to write and direct a film entitled "Pecker" for Fine Line Features, according to the film company, which is part of New Line Films.
The film, a black comedy, concerns a young man who works in a Hampden sandwich shop and who falls into the hobby of taking pictures of his somewhat peculiar family. The pictures are "discovered" by a New York art dealer, and the young man is turned into an art star.
Waters is halfway through the script, which is due Jan. 1.
"Usually development deals aren't announced," he says. "But in this case, the information got out in a story on New Line in the Hollywood Reporter. I want to make sure the facts are right."
Deals come and go, but Waters is optimistic at this point.
"I think the movie will get made. I want the movie to be made. But I know that just because there's a deal, that doesn't mean there's going to be a movie."
"I've done the same thing for all of my pictures," he adds. "I write a treatment, I go to L.A., I pitch the script, a deal is signed, I finish the script and maybe I get the movie made and maybe I don't."
A previous film, budgeted at $20 million from French sources, fell through over disagreements over casting.
"Hopefully we will make this film in Baltimore in the spring. But I'm very superstitious about these things," says Waters.
No budget has yet been assigned and casting has not yet begun.
Pub Date: 10/29/96
