Rebecca de Mornay joins Billy Baldwin, Kurt...

Rebecca de Mornay joins Billy Baldwin, Kurt Russell, Jason Gedrick, Scott Glenn and Jennifer Jason Leigh in Imagine’s “Backdraft,” a drama about an arson investigation directed by Ron Howard from a script by Gregory Widen. Richard B. Lewis produces and Brian Glazer executive produces. Production on the Universal release begins in Chicago July 23.

Michael Biehn will star in “K2,” a drama about mountain climbing which Franc Roddam will direct for producer Jonathan Taplin. Scott Roberts wrote the script. Filming gets under way in Pakistan and Vancouver the end of August.

Lauren Hutton plays the wife of evil gubernatorial candidate Lyman Ward in IRS Media’s dark comedy, “The Chair.” Previously announced Rod Steiger, Heather Graham and Zelda Rubenstein head the cast for director Sam Irvin and producer Randy Gale (whose brother Charles wrote the film). Photography starts early August in L.A.

Roddy McDowall joins Martin Landau in Christara Pictures’ “The Color Of Evening,” a romantic drama about an aging painter and the woman who inspires him, written by Tamara Lynn Roth from a Robert Nathan novel. Producer-director Stephen Thomas Stafford launches production for executive producer Ara Avaness in the Southern California area July 30.

Lance Henricksen has landed the role of Torquemada in Full Moon’s “The Pit and the Pendulum,” after production delays forced Peter O’Toole to bow out. Director Stuart Gordon and producer Albert Band plan to launch production in August in Italy. Dennis Paoli adapted the classic Edgar Allan Poe chiller.

Brion James and John Dennis Johnston will star in writer-director Philippe Mora’s “Pterodactyl Woman From Brentwood,” a satire of Brentwood Yuppie life. The title role is still uncast. Mora and his co-producer Michael Duffy start principal photography in late September for the Really Unbelievable Picture Co. in--where else?--Brentwood.

Christopher McDonald has signed to star opposite Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon and Harvey Keitel in Percy Main Prods./Pathe’s “Thelma & Louise.” This is the final main casting on the production which has been under way since June 11. Ridley Scott (who co-produces with Mimi Polk) is directing Callie Khouri’s screenplay.

Bruce Payne, who just wrapped Blake Edwards’ “Switch,” segues into a role as a vampire in “The Howling Part 6.” Brendan Hughes will play a werewolf for director Hope Perello. Production gets under way the end of July in Piru, a small town north of L.A. Incidently, this is the first of the series to film in the U.S. since the original movie.