David Cronenberg is plottinga film of Bruce Wagner's original screenplay Maps To TheStars, to be produced by Robert Lantos and his Serendipity Point Films.

But whether he will get to Mapsas his next film is uncertain, since there has been movement on hislong-gestating film of Martin Amis' London Fields. Cronenberg told Screenthat France's UGC has come on board London Fields as aco-producer and that the film is being structured as a Canada/France/UKco-production.

Meanwhile he said that hehas abandoned Painkillers, his original screenplay which was to beproduced by Lantos and Andras Hamori's H20 Motion Pictures.

Wagner, a close friend ofthe director, is best-known for his Hollywood-themed "Cellular Trilogy"of novels - "I'mLosing You", "I'll Let You Go" and "Still Holding". Reachedin New York City where he is beginning a US publicity tour for A History OfViolence, Cronenberg told Screen International, "It would be a greatfilm to do, the whole Hollywood celebrity milieu. I haven't done anything like it."

Meanwhile UGC's in-houseproducer Said Ben-Said will shepherd London Fields for the Frenchcompany. Chris Hanley of Muse Productions is producing with Hamish McAlpine,while negotiations with a potential Canadian producer are now underway. Amis wrotethe script with Roberta Hanley from his 1991 novel.

"Both films are in theindependent sphere," said Cronenberg. "Whether they would go or not woulddepend on selling territories. It's a moment of exhilarating freedom. I don'tknow which one or if either will go. I would obviously like to be shootingsomething by next spring."

He said that he decided he"didn't want to do" Painkillers. "One finds one doesn't like it fiveyears later. It feels like it's from another era."

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