Wb-ufa Link For Euro Telefilms

Warner Bros. International Television will team with Ufa Film Production International to co-produce the first of what may be many English-language telefilms filmed entirely in Germany with a largely American cast.

Called "The Mall," the project will be produced in association with the Wolper Organization and will be aired on Fox TV Network, according to Ufa Film Production International head Constantin Thoeren. Ufa Film Production International is the Berlin-based subsidiary of Europe's largest chain of broadcasters, CLT-Ufa.

The Warners-Ufa co-production may be the first of a series of cooperative efforts on the European continent if it is successful.

"It's supposed to be a stepping stone into a larger deal," Thoeren said. "Both companies feel this is the engagement period, and we could do a lot more together."

Ufa and Warners are already in development on "three or four" telefilms and three series.

Ufa and Warners are equal equity partners on "The Mall," whose budget has been tentatively set at $5.5 million. Norberto Barba will direct from a script by John Mandel.

Ufa has become more active in co-producing TV material with Hollywood studios during the past year.

Most recently, Ufa has greenlighted the first in a series of telefilms to be co-produced with Paramount in Europe. Paramount, Ufa and Proctor & Gamble had announced last year that they would produce 36 telefilms in Europe together as equal equity partners.

The first of the ambitious Paramount-Ufa-Proctor & Gamble co-productions will be an adventure comedy entitled "Romanov Gambit." It will be shot and set somewhere in Europe, said Thoeren, on a budget of between $2.5 and $3 million.

Michael Piller will direct, from a script by Bill Dial and himself.

Asked why Warners is willing to produce in Europe, Thoeren said, "It would be more expensive if they did it in the States, and we came in as partners bringing real money."

Though "The Mall" is set entirely in America, the fact that a European co-producer is involved will fulfill "quota" regulations, which Thoeren named as an additional incentive for Warners to shoot the film in Europe.