Kilmer on road to 'Wonderland' for Lions Gate

Tue Oct 1, 2:48 AM ET

By Zorianna Kit

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Val Kilmer is in negotiations to star as the late porn legend John Holmes in Lions Gate Films' true-crime tale "Wonderland" for director James Cox.

Christina Applegate, Kate Bosworth, Lisa Kudrow and Josh Lucas are in talks to round out the cast of the film, which begins shooting next month.

Holmes was perhaps the most famous porn star of his time; he made more than 2,000 hard-core movies and slept with more than 10,000 women. (His life was one of the inspirations for Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 film "Boogie Nights.") A drug addict, he died from AIDS ( news - web sites)-related complications in 1988 at the age of 43.

Lions Gate's project will not be a biopic, but a true-crime tale focusing on a specific time in Holmes' life, namely his implication in what is known as the Laurel Canyon Murders in 1981, a quadruple homicide on Wonderland Avenue that also involved his teenage lover (Bosworth).

Kudrow would play Holmes' wife, Sharon, with Lucas and Applegate as Holmes' friends Ron and Susan Lawnius.

Todd Sanovitz, D. Loriston Scott, James Cox and Captain Mauzner wrote the script, which is being produced by Holly Wiersma. Lions Gate, Mike Paseornek, Marc Butan, Tom Ortenberg and Peter Block are executive producing.