Peter Hoffman’s Seven Arts has moved into self-distribution and is lining up a remake of the family property Thomasina after acquiring rights from the late author Paul Gallico’s estate.

The film will go through Seven Arts Film Distribution, which will focus on digital releasing and include theatrical releases where appropriate. The goal is to distribute six to eight films a year.

Peter Hewitt will direct the Thomasina project from Jim Hart’s screenplay about the titular enchanted cat.

Meanwhile Hoffman remains optimistic about moving ahead on his long-gestating Boris Akunin adaptation The Winter Queen to star Milla Jovovich.

The project has been reconfigured as a UK-Hungarian co-production with Budapest-based Pioneer. Fedor Bondarchuk will direct from Henry Bean’s fresh draft of Paul Verhoeven’s adapted screenplay based on Akunin’s 19th century-set conspiracy thriller Azazel.

Hoffman is eyeing a possible April star tin Budapest.

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