Italy's Cinecitta and Roma studios in first ever collaboration

Brian De Palma's upcoming movie, The Black Dahlia,will start shooting this summer at Cinecitta Studios and Roma Studios, markingthe first ever collaboration between Italy's two biggest studios.

An adaptation of James Ellroy's classic noir novel, TheBlack Dahlia is set in 1940s Los Angeles and tells the story of two copswho investigate the brutal death of a young woman. One of the cops, however,soon realises that his girlfriend had ties to the murdered woman, and beginsuncovering a web of corruption and conspiracy within the police department.

The film's cast includes Josh Hartnett and Mark Wahlberg asthe two police officers, as well as the ubiquitous Scarlett Johansson and TheDreamers' Eva Green.

Adapted by Josh Friedman, the film is produced by RudyCohen, Moshe Diamant and Art Linson, who produced De Palma's TheUntouchables.

Production designer will be Dante Ferretti, whose multiplecredits include Cold Mountain, Gangs Of New York and The Aviator.

Signature Pictures International is handling internationalrights.

A source close to Cinecitta confirmed that The BlackDahlia will shoot this summer at both the newly-restored Roma Studios andat the venerable Cinecitta' Studios.

It is expected that De Palma will shoot interiors atCinecitta' and will use Roma Studios' huge backlot to shoot exteriors.

In recent months, Cinecitta has housed the shoot of PaulSchrader's The Exorcist: The Beginning, and Wes Andersen's The LifeAquatic with Bill Murray.

In June, Cinecitta, which has offices in London, New Yorkand Los Angeles, will also host the shoot of Stephen Soderbergh's Ocean'sTwelve.

Roma Studios, which is situated in the countryside outsideRome, is headed by Tarak Ben Ammar. The studio, which was built by producerDino De Laurentiis in the 1960s, was renovated and re-opened in September 2002,after lying abandoned for over 10 years. Since then, it has hosted the shoot ofErmanno Olmi's $9.5 epic Singing Behind The Screens.

Next year, Cinecitta hopes to take its collaboration withRoma Studios one step further, by operating a theme park on the grounds whereRoma Studios is located. Cinecitta owns the grounds and is now trying to workout a deal with Roma Studios.