Donald Sutherland joins the cast of Imagine’s...

Donald Sutherland joins the cast of Imagine’s “Backdraft,” the drama about an arson investigation currently shooting in Chicago under the direction of Ron Howard. Sutherland will play the arsonist. Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Rebecca De Mornay and Jason Gedrick star for producer Richard B. Lewis, Pen Densham and John Watson.

In TIG Productions’ “China Moon,” Ed Harris will star as a Florida homicide cop who finds himself on the wrong side of the law when his lover, Madeleine Stowe, kills her husband. The film, executive produced by Kevin Costner and Jim Wilson, will be directed by John Bailey from Roy Carlson’s script. Production on the Orion release gets under way Oct. 1.

Anthony LaPaglia, just cast as Michael Keaton’s police partner in Hollywood Pictures’ “One Good Cop,” has now landed a starring role opposite Danny Aiello in Fox’s “29th Street,” shooting in North Carolina, Baltimore and Manhattan beginning Oct. 22. George Gallo makes his directorial debut with this true story of an Italian father and son. David Permut produces.

Sondra Locke, whose last directorial effort was “Impulse,” has signed with Orion to direct “Oh, Baby,” a comedy set in the wonderful world of genetic engineering.

Science fiction writer-director Dan O’Bannon will direct “Shatterbrain,” a horror-thriller written by Brent V. Friedman about a man who discovers an ancient means for raising the dead. Mark Borde and Kenneth M. Raich will produce for Eurobrothers N.V. Scotti Bros. will release the film, which begins filming Oct. 29 in Canadian locations.

Vidmark Entertainment is currently making a film version of Dean R. Koontz’s horror-suspense novel, “The Servants of Twilight,” which has been No. 1 on the paperback best-seller lists. Bruce Greenwood, Belinda Bauer, Richard Bradford, Grace Zabriskie and Jarrett Lennon star in this tale about a single mother who believes her young son is the anti-Christ and the private investigator she hires to protect him. Jeffrey Obrow directs the script he and Stephen Carpenter adapted from the novel. Venetia Stevenson produces.