London-based sales house Carlton International has signed a three-picture deal with Japan's New Select for star-driven TV action films.

New Select is buying TV, DVD and video rights in Japan to Rough Air: Danger On Flight 534, Tin Can Alley and Maiden Voyage. All three are produced by Carlton America (formerly Hamdon Entertainment) and co-produced with Herbert Kloiber's Tele Muenchen Group (TMG).

"We see New Select as a key partner in developing sales of our action titles in a major territory like Japan," said Simon Wheeler, international video manager at Carlton International.

Rough Air stars Eric Roberts as a passenger forced to take the controls of a trans-Atlantic jet. Luke Perry headlines Tin Can Alley as the captain of a stricken sub whose nuclear missiles are on countdown. Maiden Voyage sees Danny Strange as an unlikely hero on a hijacked cruise ship.

Carlton expects to co-produce at least two action pictures a year with TMG.