Madonna and Jennifer Lynch, David Lynch’s daughter,...

Madonna and Jennifer Lynch, David Lynch’s daughter, are hatching plans to film an “Eating Raoul”-type murder tale called “Boxing Hanna.” Jennifer Lynch, who wrote “The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer”--the paperback revelation of the intimate thoughts of the murdered prom queen from her dad’s TV series--has written and will direct her first feature for Mainline Productions. A publicist for Madonna confirms that the singer-actress is committed to the project, which could begin filming early next year. In the story, the title character is a murder victim whose body parts get boxed. Sounds like Jennifer Lynch has inherited her father’s sense of humor.

Andy Garcia will star as Armando Valladares, a political prisoner for 22 years in Castro’s Cuba before being released, thanks to the efforts of his wife, whom he married while in prison. Universal bought the screen rights to Valladares’ book, “Against All Hope,” which producers Raul Fernandez and Josh Young will develop for Garcia. Valladares currently serves as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission.

River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Lionel Stander, Grace Zabriskie, James Russo, Rodney Harvey, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers rock band and Udo Kier (the German actor who appeared in several films by W.R. Fassbinder and Andy Warhol) star in writer-director Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho.” The film, produced by Laurie Parker and Nick Wechsler, is getting underway in Portland and Seattle and later moves on to Rome. The people in Van Sant’s tale of gay street life in Portland are inspired by characters from Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” plays.

Joan Chen is set to star in Spirit Productions’ drama “Row Your Boat,” in which she’ll play an unhappily married woman whose life is saved by a homeless man, as is her son’s. The film, written and directed by Solice Mitchell and produced by Richard E. Johnson, will shoot next summer in New York City.