Films now going into production: ...

Films now going into production: The Comfort of Strangers (Erre/Sovereign). Shooting in Italy. Christopher Walken, Natasha Richardson, Rupert Everett and Helen Mirren star in this Paul Schrader-directed, Harold Pinter-scripted erotic thriller following an English couple on vacation in Venice. Producer Angelo Rizzoli. Distributor Sovereign.

Kabukiman (Troma/Namco/Gaga). Shooting in New York. This action adventure concerns a NYC police detective who is somehow transformed into a crime-fighting Kabuki persona. Executive producer Masaya Kakamura. Producers Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz. Directors Herz and Kaufman. Screenwriter Kaufman, Andrew Osborne and Jeffrey W. Sass. Stars Rick Gianasi, Susan Byun and Noble Lee Lester. Distributor Troma.

Love Supreme (40 Acres & A Mule). Shooting in NYC. “Do the Right Thing’s” Spike Lee produces/directs/scripts this one starring Denzel Washington and himself, among others. It’s a tale of a jazz musician who must make some hard decisions regarding his musical life versus his romantic life. Also stars Ossie Davis, Giancarlo Esposito, Ruben Blades and John Turturro. Distributor Universal. Summer release.

Mermaids (Orion). Shooting in Boston. Cher portrays a free-spirited mom to her sensitive, quiet daughter Winona Ryder, as the latter seeks to establish her own identity. Producers Patrick Palmer, Wally Nicita and Lauren Lloyd. Director Frank Oz. Screenwriter June Roberts.

The Sheltering Sky (Film Trustees). Shooting in Algeria, Morocco, Niger and Rome. Debra Winger and John Malkovich star in this endeavor from director Bernardo Bertolucci, producer Jeremy Thomas and screenwriter Mark Peploe, who triumphed with “The Last Emperor.” It’s based on Paul Bowles’ classic novel of the intimate relationships between three people in postwar Northern Africa. Also stars Campbell Scott (George C. and Colleen Dewhurst’s son). Distributor Warner Bros.