Roy Scheider, Julian Sands and Michael Zelniker...

Roy Scheider, Julian Sands and Michael Zelniker join Judy Davis and Peter Weller in David Cronenberg’s film of William Burroughs’ novel, “Naked Lunch.” Shooting begins January in Toronto and Morocco. Jeremy Thomas and Gabriella Martinelli will produce for the Recorded Picture Co.

Kurtwood Smith joins Madonna in Mainline Productions’ “Boxing Helena,” a psychological thriller about obsessive love to be directed by Jennifer Lynch.

Jeffrey Jones has been cast in “Welcome to Buzzsaw,” Interscope’s dark comedy starring Matthew Broderick. French filmmaker Francis Veber will direct the screenplay by Joshua and Daniel Goldin starting Jan. 2 in Santa Cruz. Universal will distribute the film, produced by Robert Cort and Karen Murphy.

George Segal and bandleader Jack Sheldon join Bette Midler and James Caan in Fox’s “For the Boys,” the episodic tale of a USO singer which Midler, Bonnie Bruckheimer and Margaret South are producing from Marshall Brickman and Neal Jimenez’s script. Mark Rydell directs in L.A. early January.

“Kate & Allie’s” Ari Meyers joins Ed O’Neill, JoBeth Williams and Ethan Randall in Fox’s “Dutch,” a John Hughes production, which is now shooting in L.A. and will later move to Chicago. Peter Faiman directs Hughes’ script about an estranged father and son who must travel cross-country.

Another cross-country trip takes place when Drew Barrymore, Meat Loaf, Vince Edwards and Michael J. Pollard star in Planet Productions’ “Motorama,” a 10-year-old boy’s adventures tooling around in a 1966 Mustang. The film gets under way this week in Arizona under the direction of Barry Shils .

Alyssa Milano of “Who’s the Boss,” Jonathan Silverman and George Newbern star in Creative Edge Films’ collegiate comedy “Co-Ed,” written and directed by Jimmy Zeilinger. The Martin Wiley-Jeffrey Neuman produced film is shooting in L.A.

Kenny Ortega will choreograph and direct Disney’s “Newsies,” a musical about a New York newspaper strike in the late 19th Century. Producer Michael Finnell hopes to launch production the end of March.

Martin Lawrence from New Line Cinema’s “House Party” and Darryl Sivad head the cast in New Line’s “Talking Dirty After Dark,” written and directed by Topper Carew. The film is now shooting in L.A.

Jack Warden joins John Ritter in Imagine Films/Universal’s “Problem Child II,” scheduled to get under way next month.

James Marshall (“Twin Peaks”) and Cuba Gooding (currently starring in Columbia’s “Boyz N the Hood”) are set to star in Columbia’s “Bare Knuckles” They play high-school kids caught up in an illegal boxing and betting organization. Steve Roth will produce and Rowdy Herrington direct a script by Lyle Kessler (“Orphans”), which has been rewritten by Nick Kazan (“Reversal of Fortune”). Shooting begins in Chicago Jan. 15.

There’ll be more bare knuckles when Don Wilson, the light heavyweight kick-boxing champion of the world, stars for producer Paul Maslak in Unifilm International’s martial- arts thriller, “Ultimate Weapon,” next May in Miami.