Jeff Levy-Hinte and Mary Jane Skalski's New York productioncompany Antidote Films has unveiled two new projects: Todd Louiso's Macbeth, which is to star Philip Seymour Hoffman, and StevenShainberg's Sarah, based on J TLeroy's acclaimed debut novel about West Virginia lowlifes.

Louiso directed Love Liza, which starred Hoffman and earned the actor's brother Gordythe Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, whileShainberg's edgy romantic comedy Secretary was a multi-award winner and festival darling.

Louiso has adapted Macbeth with Jacob Koskoff, while Sarah is being adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, whowrote Richard Eyre's upcoming drama Compleat Female Stage Beauty, and centres on truck stop prostitutesknown as "lot lizards".

"The mission of Antidote is to produce films with artisticallyambitious film-makers and provide them an environment that cultivateschallenging and provocative film-making," Antidote president and founder Levy-Hinte said in a statement.

"Steven and Todd have been responsible for giving us two of themost compelling and artistically ambitious films in recent memory, and it is aprivilege to work with them on their upcoming projects."

Antidote's previous credits include Catherine Hardwicke's currently-on-releaseThirteen and TomMcCarthy's Sundance prizewinning comedy-drama The Station Agent, which Miramax has scheduled for US releasein October.

Antidoterecently completed principal photography on Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin in Los Angeles.