Gary Rubin's FirstIndependent Pictures has picked up US rights to Gary Sinyor's comedy Bob TheButler and Richard Jobson's actiontitle The Purifiers from Park Entertainment.

Bob The Butler stars Tom Green as an accident-prone man who throughvarious mishaps becomes a butler and befriends a family. Brooke Shields andSimon Callow also star.

Steven Manners and JaneWalker Wood co-wrote the screenplay and Gavin Wilding and Esther Randall serveas producers. Executive producers include First Independent president GaryRubin, Park Entertainment chief executive officer Jim Howell, Terence S Potterand Jacqueline Quella.

Dominic Monaghan, currentlyriding high in ABC's hit series Lost, stars in The Purifiers,which centres on a group of skilled martial artists who maintain public order.

Kevin McKidd, Rachel Grant,Amber Sainsbury and Gordon Alexander also star and Chris Atkins, Bill Kenwrightand Jobson produced.

"We're very excited to haveboth of these films on our release slate," Rubin said in a statement, adding:"Together, the acquisition of these new films exemplifies First Independent'sstrategy to build a diverse slate of feature films with wide commercial appeal.'

Rubin negotiated the dealswith Howell. Park Entertainment will bring both titles to next week's AFM inSanta Monica.

First Independent Featureslaunched in February 2004 and aims to distribute four-six pictures a year,focusing on pre-buying domestic rights and acquiring finished films, andproviding P&A and finishing funds to select titles.

The current slate includes Pursued starring Christian Slater, Michael Clarke Duncan andEstella Warren, and Mail Order Wife,which stars Eugenia Yuan, Adrian Martinez and Andrew Gurland.

Park Entertainment wasestablished in 1987 as a worldwide entertainment consultant, distributor andsales agent for independent features and television and also develops andproduces its own programming.