Shooting is currently underway on Rome distributor Eagle Pictures' first major production, the English-language picture The Lazarus Child starring Andy Garcia and Angela Bassett.

The Lazarus Child focuses on a girl who falls into a coma after being hit by a bus. Her only hope for recovery hinges on an eccentric researcher, who manages to propel the girl's 12-year-old brother into her mind in the hope of luring her back to consciousness.

The $30m picture, which was in development at Eagle for several years, is currently shooting for 9 weeks in London and Alberta, Canada until October 15.

It was entirely developed by Eagle Pictures, who brought in Ron Bass to adapt Robert Mawson's 1998 bestseller after paying a reported $1m for the book's rights.

Directed by first-time feature film director Graham Theakston, The Lazarus Child is a co-production between Eagle Pictures, Germany's Tandem Communications, London's UK20 and Canada's Illusions/Telefilm.

Ron Bass, whose previous screenplays include In Bed With The Enemy, Rain Man and My Best Friend's Wedding, will get a producer's credit on the film, alongside Bruce Harvey and Eagle Pictures' vice chairman and head of International production, Ciro Dammicco.

Morgan Creek will distribute the film in the US through Warner Bros, while Eagle will release the film in Italy.

The Lazarus Child is the first of two major international productions for Eagle Pictures, which was founded in 1986 as a TV and video distribution company by brothers Ciro and Stefano Dammicco and has since become one of Italy's most powerful film distributors.

Next up is Genesis Code, which is based on John Case's 1998 novel and adapted by Ronald Shusett, Ian Rabin and Julian Mitchell.

The picture, which focuses on a private investigator whose family is persecuted by an extremist religious order after visiting an Italian fertility clinic, is expected to start shooting on the heels of The Lazarus Child, Eagle said.

Senator Int'l is handling foreign sales on both Eagle titles.