Mandate Pictures has bought the screenplay to Thomas Thonson'ssupernatural thriller 27 Times.

The story centres on a paranoid man named Arthur, who cares forhis teenage brother who himself is tortured by precognitive visions of violentdeaths.

The project will be overseen by Mandate's Mary Lee and produced byMandate Pictures' president of motion pictures Nathan Kahane, Mandate presidentJoe Drake, and former Mandate development vice president Drew Crevello.

27 Timesmarks the first film Crevello will produce under his yet-to-be-named first-lookdeal with the company.

Thonson's other project, the suburban teen drama Rockwell, is currently in development at SenatorFilms. Thonson is represented by David Engel at Circle of Confusion.

Mandate is currently in post-production on Marc Forster's StrangerThan Fiction, which willget its world premiere at Toronto next month and will be released in NorthAmerica through Sony.

In development are Juno and Strangers for Universal and Vertigo Entertainment, as well as Harold AndKumar Go To White Castle 2for New Line.