A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : HOT SHOTS : From Boyz to Girlz--John Singleton Is Moving His Act Into a New ‘Hood

Inside Columbia Pictures, it’s already been dubbed “Girlz N the Hood.”

But the real title of John Singleton’s probable next film project is “Poetic Justice.”

The project breaks fresh ground by telling a coming-of-age story from a young black woman’s point of view--and one source describes it as “very different” from Singleton’s critically acclaimed “Boyz N the Hood.”

Singleton is now at work on the screenplay, about a teen-ager named Justice who finds refuge in her poetry after her boyfriend is killed. The film, likely to go into production next spring, will be set in South-Central L.A. and Oakland.

With the critical and commercial success of his “Boyz N the Hood,” Singleton is much in demand as a director for projects other than his own. But he remains committed to directing his own screenplays. As he recently put it: “My emphasis is on writing. I’m only a director so I can protect my vision.”

While his own screenplays take top priority, he is reviewing outside scripts. Among those under consideration, sources say, is a screenplay about the legendary boxer Joe Louis, “Brown Bomber,” which was written by L.A. Times sports columnist Mike Downey. Forest Whitaker has expressed interest in starring if the project goes forward.

Now that he’s famous, the 23-year-old Singleton is attracting a flock of wanna-be filmmakers. Since the release of “Boyz,” Singleton’s production company on Columbia’s Culver City lot has been inundated with scripts from young African-Americans who aspire to be screenwriters.

Most of these are returned for legal reasons because they were submitted unsolicited and without talent-agent representation. But Singleton’s aides say they try to encourage the young aspirants by directing them to workshops and writers’ organizations.