LATEST: The movie version of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a step closer to production.

Following the approval of BEN ELTON's script by WARNER BROTHERS, musical svengali LORD LLOYD-WEBBER is seeking to finalise a director for his flick - after his first pick choose another project. He says, "Yes, they have approved Ben's script and we have the budget. "We are ready to go but we are still looking for a director. We were going to use SHAKHAR KAPOOR but he has taken another film, so it's a question of whether we wait for him or go with another director. "I think that Warner Bros would like to go quite quickly now."

(WV/WNTEX/CPT)

Source: WENN