It's in the cards: Griffith hustled into 'Shade' role
Mon May 27, 7:13 PM ET by Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Melanie Griffith has joined the cast of RKO Pictures/Merv Griffin Entertainment's crime thriller "Shade" for first-time writer-director Damian Nieman. Production begins Thursday in Los Angeles.

"Shade" is set in the world of poker hustlers working the clubs and martini bars of Los Angeles. The tale unfolds as the hustlers -- Thandie Newton, Stuart Townsend and Gabriel Byrne -- encounter "The Dean" (Sylvester Stallone) and pull off a successful sting that results in their pursuit by a vengeful gangster. Jamie Foxx also stars as a man who wants to become a hustler but ends up getting hustled. Griffith will star as a Stallone's ex-flame who rekindles her romance with him when he arrives in the city.

RKO chairman and CEO Ted Hartley is producing with Hammond Entertainment's David Schnepp and Chris Hammond. Merv Griffin and Joe Nicolo will executive produce with actor Bo Hopkins, who also is in the film.

Cobalt Media Group's Peter Rogers and Ralpho Borgos are handling international sales.

"Shade" will mark the second RKO-related project for Griffith, who starred as Marion Davies in the 1999 HBO feature "RKO 281," about the battle between William Randolph Hearst and Orson Welles over the 1941 feature film "Citizen Kane," which was produced by RKO, at that time known as RKO Radio Pictures Inc.

Griffith, repped by WMA, was nominated for a best actress Oscar for her role in "Working Girl." She next voices a character in Columbia Pictures' "Stuart Little 2" and stars in the indie feature "Tempo" opposite Rachael Leigh Cook.

- Craig Zablo [May 31, 2002]