Edward Burnswill star in an adaptation of Alice Hoffman's supernatural thriller TheRiver King that is beingput together by Myriad Pictures' London arm, Canadian production company imXcommunications and UK-based Grosvenor Park's First Choice Films.

Principalphotography in Canada is due to begin in spring 2004 with Nick Willing set todirect based on a screenplay by Born Romantic screenwriter David Kane. Willing's crimethriller Hypnotic,starring Goran Visnjic and Paddy Considine, will shortly be released in the US.

The RiverKing centres on a smalltown policeman (Burns) who investigates the apparent suicide of an elite prepschool student and begins to realise there is more to the case than meets theeye. Additional casting announcements will be made shortly.

imX communications president Christopher Zimmer willproduce with Michele Camarda (Born Romantic, Hypnotic), while executive producer roles go to Myriadpresident Kirk D'Amico, Myriad's London operations chief and head ofinternational production Marion Pilowsky and Grosvenor Park's Donald A Starrand Daniel J B Taylor.

The RiverKing is Myriad's thirdcollaboration with First Choice Films following the comedy-drama Being Julia, starring Annette Bening and JeremyIrons, and the supernatural thriller Trauma, starring Colin Firth and Mena Suvari,both of which are in post-production.

"We are so pleased to beworking with such a wealth of talent on both sides of the Atlantic," D'Amicosaid in a statement. "The production team hopes to do justice to Alice Hoffman'sextraordinary literary vision."