Walt Disney Studios has boardedYari Film Group/Stratus Film Company's drama Hoax starring Richard Gere and directed by LasseHallstrom as domestic disributor.

Yari's Syndicate Films ishandling international sales on the film which is scripted by Bill Wheeler andtells the story of Clifford Irving the man who wrote and sold a bogus biographyof Howard Hughes. Alfred Molina co-stars as Richard Suskind, Irving'saccomplice with Marcia Gay Harden as Irving's wife Edith.

Mark Gordon and LeslieHolleran are producing along with Joshua Maurer, Betsy Beers and Yari. Gordon'sformer partner at Mutual Film Co Gary Levinsohn will act as executive producer.

Production is scheduled tobegin in August.

It's been a good year forYari Film Group: its ensemble drama Crash has grossed close to $50m in the US through Lions Gate, while atSundance this year, Sony Pictures Classics picked up a host of territoriesincluding North America for Thumbsucker and Miramax/The Weinstein Co bought The Matador.

Other Yari productions whichhave wrapped so far in 2005 include Prime with Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman, Winter Passing with Ed Harris and Will Ferrell, Jackie Dee directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Vin Diesel, TheIllusionist starring Edward Norton, FirstSnow with Guy Pearce and JumpShot starring Danny DeVito and KimBasinger.