N SYNC and Backstreet Boysimpresario Louis J Pearlman has teamed up with Steve Austin's TagEntertainment to form Tag Studios, a theatrical film and television productioncompany that will focus on family oriented output with a strong musicalinfluence. Pearlman and Austin each have an equal equity share in theenterprise and plan an annual slate of six family films. Tag Studios currentlyhas four features in development with a further two in pre-production and hassigned deals with Travolta Family Film and director Richard Crystal, whoco-produced the crime thriller Murder By Numbers. Greg McDonald, the president of Pearlman'sTrans Continental Records, has been named co-President at Tag Studios.

The first production will beSupercross, the story of aworking class family that struggles to give their teenage son a chance to raceSupercross. It was written by Bart Baker and will be directed by Steve Boyum,whose credits include Slapshot IIand Time Cop II. Next up will bea live action retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, followed by a third production starring pop artistNatural, who is signed to Trans Continental Records. The first Tag Studios-RichardCrystal collaboration will be Crankshaft, adapted from the comic strip. No writer has been attached so far.

'The music businesshas been very good to me and it is my intention to parlay that experience,knowledge and know-how into building a strong, viable film and televisionoperation,' Pearlman said in a statement, adding that the experience ofAustin and producing partner Jonathan Bogner heralded exciting opportunities.

Prior to forming TagStudios, Austin's Tag Entertainment was a three-year-old productioncompany specialising in family films and recently completed production on TheSanta Trap, starring Shelley Longand Robert Hays. Other credits include: Hansel & Gretel, a live action family film based on the BrothersGrimm fairy tale that stars Lynn Redgrave, Delta Burke and Howie Mandel; FirstLook's No Place Like Home; TheRetrievers; and Regal Entertainment'sforthcoming Miracle Dogs.

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