From Hollywood Reporter

April 05, 2005

Warner Bros. hails King for 1st-look deal

Building on their successful partnership on "The Aviator," Warner Bros. Pictures has signed a first-look agreement with Graham King's Initial Entertainment Group. Warners president of production Jeff Robinov and Initial Entertainment Group president and CEO King confirmed the deal Monday. As part of the agreement, Initial will shift its existing production pacts with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way and Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil to Warners. King is boarding the upcoming Warners project "The Departed" as part of the new deal. He joins producer Brad Pitt and executive producers Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Gianni Nunnari and G. Mac Brown on the project, which is directed by Martin Scorsese and stars DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Vera Farmiga. King also will produce "Shantaram" at Warners with Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Plan B. Depp will star in the movie, which is being adapted by Gregory Roberts from his own novel. King already had set that project up at the studio late last year. (Liza Foreman)