Screenwriter Martin Schenk's Baby Andromeda is the tale of a husband and wife who scheme to throw their least-loved child down a hole and cash in on Baby Jessica-like publicity. The problem is, their favorite daughter, Andromeda, stumbles in instead, and wreaks a Carrie-like revenge years later. Agent Theresa Park nabbed a high-six-figure deal with New Line Cinema for this one, as well as a two-book hard/soft deal (also reportedly in the high six figures) with Villard publisher David Rosenthal and Ballantine executive editor Peter Borland, who were both bidding and decided on a joint deal. A spring 1998 publication is planned.
Holding Out, a first novel by Atlanta-based commodities broker Anne O. Faulk, was sold by agent Joni Evans to S&S editor Michael Korda for a reported $300,000. The story is an update of Aristophanes's Lysistrata, with the women in this story "holding out" -- that's right, withholding sex -- to protest Congress's inaction on charges that the Supreme Court Chief Justice was physically abusive to his wife, who has just committed suicide. "It's a very funny, sexy novel with a serious political message as well," Korda told PW. He'll probably publish this First Wives Club-like book in early 1998. There's plenty of film/TV buzz on this book as well, which is not surprising, since Evans found the property in William Morris's film/TV department.
