David Duchovny has taken thelead role in Robert Greenwald's upcoming film of James Elroy'sautobiographical novel My Dark Places which is being produced by Francis Ford Coppola's AmericanZoetrope and financed by Myriad Pictures.

The film, originally set upby Myriad and then taken over by Zoetrope under the two companies' jointventure to produce five new films, will be released domestically by UnitedArtists (UA) under Zoetrope's domestic arrangement and soldinternationally by Myriad.

Elroy will have a producingrole on the film and will work closely on the script which has been written byJan Oxenberg and deals with Elroy's investigation into his ownmother's murder in 1950s Los Angeles. Duchovny will portray the Elroycharacter.

Greenwald, whose creditsinclude The Burning Bed and StealThis Movie, is directing andproducing along with Michael McDonnell and Myriad co-president KirkD'Amico. Myriad's other co-president Philip Von Alvensleben andpresident of production Lucas Foster will executive produce alongside Coppola.

Duchovny, most famous forhis long-running lead role in TV series The X-Files, will next be seen on the big screen in StevenSoderbergh's ensemble drama Full Frontal. His other recent film creditsinclude Evolution for directorIvan Reitman and romantic comedy Return To Me with Minnie Driver.

Duchovny is managed byMelanie Greene of Melanie Greene Management and represented by CAA.

So far under its deal withUA and former international financing partner VCL, Zoetrope has produced horrorhit Jeepers Creepers directed byVictor Salwa, Roman Coppola's CQ, Hal Hartley's No Such Thing and AdamLarson Broder and Anthony Abrams' Pumpkin.

Coming up under the new dealwith Myriad are Jeepers Creepers 2,My Dark Places, Joel Schumacher'sOn The Road and Bill Condon'sas yet untitled biopic of Alfred Kinsey.