"The Blind Side" producer Molly Smith has formed a new production company, Belle Pictures, and has secured a four-year first-look deal to produce movies and TV properties in association with Alcon Entertainment, Alcon said Thursday.
Allison Rayne is the new VP of development at Belle Pictures. Jon Schumacher is creative executive and Emma Branch is production executive.
The company is developing a slate of projects, beginning with "The Bootlegger's Boy," based on football coach Barry Switzer's memoir. Switzer coached the University of Oklahoma and the Dallas Cowboys.
Patrick Massett and John Zinmann ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Friday Night Lights") are in negotiations to write the adaptation. Smith will produce the movie with Thad and Trent Luckinbill, brothers who brought the project to Belle Pictures. Alcon is financing the movie.
Also read: Viola Davis to Star in Alcon's Adaptation of 'Beautiful Creatures'
Smith is now producing "Beautiful Creatures" with Erwin Stoff and Alcon co-founders and co-chairs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson. "Beautiful Creatures" is a supernatural love story based on Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's novel. Viola Davis, Emma Thompson, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Jack O'Connell and Alice Englert star.
Smith produced "P.S. I Love You" and was executive producer on "The Blind Side," which she brought to Alcon. She was a production executive at Alcon before forming 2S Films with Hilary Swank.
She remains partners with Swank in 2S.
Smith is the daughter of FedEx founder Frederick Smith, who funded Alcon.