Reuters/Variety
May 25, 1999

FOREST WHITAKER's acting plans

Actor/director Forest Whitaker, just back from Cannes stumping for the Jim Jarmusch western ``Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai,'' is about to make a deal to costar with Annabella Sciorra and John Leguizamo in ``R XMAS'' for director Abel Ferrara, and is in talks to join John Travolta in ``Battlefield Earth.''

At the same time, he's pondering offers for the pics ``Where the Heart Is'' and the star-studded Alfonso Arau-directed indie ``Picking up the Pieces.'' Whitaker's repped by Michael Rotenberg and Jeff Golenberg of 3 Arts Ent. and William Morris.