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With ''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'' having grossed $213 million and counting, what's actress/screenwriter Nia Vardalos going to do for a follow-up? Three months ago, she signed a seven-figure deal to write and star in a comedy called ''Connie and Carla Do L.A.,'' but she kept details of the plot under wraps. However, in the wake of some executive-suite changes this week, new details about the project have come to light.

Now called ''Connie and Carla,'' the movie is described in the Hollywood Reporter as a cross between ''Some Like It Hot'' and ''Tootsie.'' In other words, lots of cross-dressing. Vardalos and an actress yet to be cast will play dinner-theater singers who have to go on the lam and wind up hiding out in an L.A. drag club. (Sounds more like a cross between ''Some Like It Hot'' and ''Victor/Victoria,'' no?). No director is on board yet for the April shoot, but several of the ''Wedding'' producers, including Vardalos, Rita Wilson, and Tom Hanks, are expected to oversee this project as well.

The latest ''Connie and Carla'' news comes one day after Variety reported that Spyglass, the production company behind the film, announced it was ending its five-year partnership with Disney, which had resulted in such hits as ''The Sixth Sense'' and ''Shanghai Noon,'' to sign a four-year first-look deal with DreamWorks. That deal still allows Spyglass to make movies for other studios, and ''Connie and Carla'' will be released by Universal. Spyglass is also working on ''Seabiscuit,'' with Tobey Maguire, and ''Bruce Almighty,'' with Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston.


Posted Dec 11, 2002 | Order Article Reprints