Jennifer Jason Leigh has signed to star opposite Vladimir Mashkov in Prisoner Of The Mountains director Sergei Bodrov's The Quickie.

The picture, being backed by the UK's Portman Entertainment and Germany's Pandora, is set on New Year's Eve when Mashkov's Russian Mafia boss realises that he is in love - and also the victim of a hit. Also in the cast are Lesley Ann Warren, Henry Thomas and Dean Stockwell.

Shooting is scheduled to start May 23 in Los Angeles. The project has been set up with France's Pyramide; Italy's Istituto Luce; Switzerland's Filmcooperative; and Germany's Foxton Entertainment.

Portman is handling sales for English and Spanish-speaking markets, South America and Israel. Bodrov, whose Running Free is set for a US release through Columbia, and Pandora are producing. Cat Villiers is executive producing for Portman.

Portman is also selling briskly on Saving Grace, the UK comedy Fine Line Features picked up at Sundance. Pedro Rodriguez's Nu Vision is to take South America.