'Scalper' has reserved seat for MacDowell

Feb. 26, 1997 - Andie MacDowell is in final negotiations to star opposite Andy Garcia in the romantic comedy "The Scalper," sources confirmed Tuesday.

Richard Wenk will direct from his original script, and the film will be produced by Gary Lucchesi for Garcia's CineSon Prods. Financing was arranged through Yoram Pelman's Tomorrow Films Corp., which is handling foreign sales.

The story involves a ticket scalper trying to keep his one true love set against the backdrop of the Pope's visit to Yankee Stadium.

MacDowell, who recently starred with John Travolta in "Michael," has wrapped principal photography on Wim Wenders' "The End of Violence." She just picked up two awards -- the Cesar d'Honneur in Paris and Goldene Kamera in Berlin -- for her life work. Her credits include "sex, lies, and videotape," "Groundhog Day," "Green Card" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral."

Garcia recently completed Mandalay Entertainment's actioner "Desperate Measures," in which he stars opposite Michael Keaton, and Sidney Lumet's "Night Falls on Manhattan." His other credits include "Black Rain," "The Untouchables," "When a Man Loves a Woman" and "The Godfather, Part III," for which he received an Oscar nomination.

MacDowell is represented by ICM's Risa Shapiro and Davien Littlefield of Littlefield/Rea Management. Richard Arlook at the Gersh Agency reps Wenk.