A new Britney Spears project,the Janis Joplin biopic starring Pink and a $16m portmanteau picture featuringauteurs old and new headline an impressive debut slate for ThierryWase-Bailey's start-up sales outfit Celsius.

Pregnant pop princess Spears is attached as producer on $55maction drama Trading Paint set in the rough and tumble world of NASCARracing. Spears will produce with her Crossroads partner Ann Carli and LarryRudolph, and Chuck Russell, whose credits include The Mask and Eraser, will direct froma script by James V Hart (Sahara, Hook, Contact, Dracula).

Although Spears isn't confirmed for arole in the film yet, there is an obvious part for her to play in the dramawhich revolves around the rivalry between two racing drivers who both survive aterrible crash and fall out of touch, but then meet years later when a youngwoman tries to bring them together for a final race. The film will shoot nextyear.

Meanwhile, an extraordinary collection of auteurs is joiningforces for the $16 million portmanteau picture, Paris Je T'Aime, which comprises 20tales, each set in one of the city's 20 arrondissements and each dealing withromance. All will be woven into a single narrative.

The Coen brothers have already completed their section,starring Steve Buscemi, as has Tom Tykwer's episode starring Natalie Portman.

Over the summer months, Gus Van Sant (with star OrlandoBloom), Agnes Jaoui (with Gena Rowlands and Ben Gazzara), Jean-Luc Godard andAnnie-Marie Mieville, Julio Medem (with Javier Bardem), Alexander Payne,Antoine Fuqua, Walter Salles (with Gael Garcia Bernal and Eva Green), SylvainChomet, Nobuhiro Suwa (with Willem Dafoe and Juliette Binoche) and OlivierAssayas will all be shooting segments of the feature. Other names are shortlyto be confirmed.

Wase-Bailey says he isconfident of wrapping up a US deal in Cannes. He is also reporting stronginterest on Penelope Spheeris's The Gospel According To Janis, starring Pink asrock legend Janis Joplin. Producer Peter Newman has US investors as well as atax credit from Louisiana on the film which is due to shoot in the autumn.