Par's 'Prince'-ly pic - 'Freshman,' with Stiles, set with Lions Gate
By DAVE MCNARY | VARIETY | 12/6/02

Paramount Pictures and Lions Gate Films have teamed to co-produce "The Prince and the Freshman," a romantic comedy to star Julia Stiles. Martha Coolidge will direct, with production to begin in March.

The feature is the first from Sobini Films, the production company founded by former Trimark owner Mark Amin with Robin Schorr shortly after Amin sold Trimark to Lions Gate in October 2000.

Written by Katherine Fugate ("Carolina"), pic is the story of a female student at a Midwestern university who has the dubious fortune to fall in love with a European prince who is spending the semester incognito.

Discussions with Susan Sarandon are also under way; she would portray the prince's mother.

Par will release the film in North America, with Lions Gate Intl. handling foreign distribution.

The film reps the second time that Par and Lions Gate have joined forces. In April, the companies jointly acquired domestic distribution rights to the Sundance Film Festival hit "Narc" starring Jason Patric and Ray Liotta.

The project was developed in house by Sobini from an original idea by Amin, who will produce. Sobini execs Schorr and Cami Winikoff are executive producers. Press Releases (organized from most recent to least)