Cinemax accumulates Soderbergh's Liberace pic

DouglasDamonSoderberghHBO has acquired director Steven Soderbergh's Liberace film "Behind the Candelabra."Starring Michael Douglas because the legendary artist, the Cinemax film will even star Matt Damon as Liberace's lover, Scott Thorson. Completed script is as simple as Richard LaGravenese, that has composed several bigscreen films including "The Fisher King" and, more lately, "Water for Tigers."Jerry Weintraub will professional produce, with Gregory Jacobs and Susan Elkins aboard as producers.Project have been gestating around the film side at Warner Bros. for a long time but tend to never gain any traction. Douglas was always ticketed to experience the intense music performer but "Candelabra" needed to be placed on hold once the actor received his cancer diagnosis.Proceed to the conglom's pay cabler was the determined as the easiest way for "Candelabra" to achieve a large audience."This can be a story that will surprise many people,Inch stated Cinemax Films topper Len Amato. "It's funny, heartbreaking and try to fascinating, and that we are delighted that Jerry and Steven introduced the film to Cinemax. This can be a dream work for us."Liberace died at age 67 later from Helps complications. 5 years earlier, Thorson prosecuted Liberace for $113 million in palimony and apparently settled for any much more compact amount in 1986.Soderbergh, who lately labored with Damon on "The Informant," is originating off box office hit "Contagion" for Warner Bros."There's lots of items that has not been available about Liberace," Weintraub told Variety. "There has not been anything such as this that's been done before. It is the story of the tortured guy and who had two lives. He was the Madonna and Elton John of his time."After debuting on Cinemax, "Candelabra" will receive a theatrical release outdoors the U.S. and Canada. Plan's for Cinemax Businesses to market the pic at film fests to independent marketers. Production is placed to start next summer time. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com