Louis Mellis and David Scinto, writers ofSearchlight's Sexy Beast, have been signed to write the screenplay for Tony Scott's planned film version of the novel Potsdamer Platz which is being developed at Fox Searchlight Pictures.

The $15m project, based on abook by Buddy Giovinazzo, centres on the intergang turf wars that raged inBerlin in the 1980's when the wall came down. Searchlight executive vicepresident of production Claudia Lewis is overseeing the project for Searchlightand Catalaine Knell, who was Scott's assistant on Top Gun in 1986 and subsequently a producer in her own right(Carried Away, Where The DayTakes You), is producing.

Mellis and Scinto wererepresented by start up agency, CMA (Clissitt Michie Agency). "Tonybrought Potsdamer Platz to us andthe combination of talent was immediately enticing and explosive. The intentionis to reinvent screen violence" said Annie Michie, who left ICM last yearto set up on her own with ex-William Morris literary agent, Sappho Clissitt.

"Tony's deal with Foxand Searchlight's backing of Sexy Beast made them a natural home for the project," she added.

Tony Scott and his brotherRidley Scott's Scott Free closed a three year-producing and directingdeal with Fox to make movies with all divisions of the studio in Sept 2001.

The first picture from therelationship is Tony Scott's current film Man On Fire, which is shooting for Fox 2000 and New RegencyProductions in Mexico. A big-budget remake of the 1987 Elie Chouraqui picturestarring Scott Glenn, it stars Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning.