Famke Janssen is toplay the notorious Countess Bathory in Juraj Jakubisko's $12.6 million epic, Bathory.

The 17thCentury Hungarian countess was nicknamed "the blood countess" for her penchantfor bathing in virgins' blood.

TheCzech/Slovak/Hungarian/UK co-production has already started second-unitphotography, with principal photography set to begin next month.

Bathory is one offive new projects with combined budgets of $30 million backed UK-basedproduction outfit, Film and Music Entertainment (F&ME).

Set up in 2001 byMike Downey and Sam Taylor, F&ME is also on board Raimo O. Niemi's Mystery OfThe Wolf. Set in Finnish Lapland, (F&ME) is co-producing Wolf with Kinoproduction Oy andFilmlance International of Sweden. Backers include Invicta, the Finnish FilmFoundation, the Nordic Film and TV Fund and Eurimages with world sales beinghandled by Nordisk Film International.

The $2m UK-Spanishco-production Mirror Maze, acollaboration between F&ME and Jose Antonio Romero's Rioja Audiovisual, isbeing directed by Guillermo Groizard and backed by Producciones 52, Ensueno andDeAPlaneta.

F&ME is alsobehind new animated feature, Quest For AHeart, based on the successful live action Rolli series. The film is aco-production between F&ME, Matila/Rohr Productions, Producers CenterKontakt and Greenlight Media AG.