Perry directing 'For Colored Girls' film

NEW YORK, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Lionsgate says it has acquired the distribution rights to U.S. filmmaker Tyler Perry's adaptation of the play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide..."

Perry is to write, direct and produce the big-screen adaptation of Ntozake Shange's award-winning 1975 play, which will feature an all-star cast of female actors, Lionsgate said.

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in Atlanta in November and continue through December. Lionsgate plans to release the film in 2010.

"For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf" will be the first project for 34th Street Films, Perry's new production company, which is housed at Lionsgate. This will also be Perry's first film to be based on non-original material.

The announcement was jointly made Thursday by Joe Drake, Lionsgate co-chief operating officer and motion picture group president, and Mike Paseornek, Lionsgate president of motion picture production.

"We are thrilled to see Tyler take the helm on 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,'" Paseornek said in a statement. "From the very beginning of his career, Tyler has told compelling stories about women's lives, and he has created a memorable gallery of multidimensional female characters. He is an ideal person to bring Ntozake Shange's play to the screen, and this movie will be a major treat for audiences across the board."

Perry called the project "a dream come true for me."

"Ntozake Shange's play is a magnificent tribute to the strength and dignity of women of color, and I think audiences of all generations will be able to recognize and embrace the experiences these women represent," Perry said. "Creatively, this movie is one of the most exciting undertakings of my career, and I'm excited to start production this November."