HOLLYWOOD NEWS

January 16, 2008–Following her star-making turn in the hit comedy “Juno,” Ellen Page will star in “Whip It!” actress Drew Barrymore's directorial debut.

Derby star Shauna Cross, known as Maggie Mayhem, penned the screenplay. The story follows the exploits of Bliss, who lives in a small Texas town, where she is always being pushed into beauty pageants, but she finds herself after joining a female roller derby team.

The project, which had originally been set up at Warner via Barrymore's Flower Films, reteams Page with Mandate, the company behind the box office smash “Juno.”

Barry Mendel (“Rushmore”) is producing. Peter Douglas, Nancy Juvonen, Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Nathan Kahane are executive producing.

The $10 million film will begin shooting in the summer in Texas, with Page likely to schedule another project before “Whip It!” “Whip It!” began to coalesce at Mandate after Page expressed interest in the script.