Thornton's on the highway again

Russia invades Hollywood by 'Car' Billy Bob Thornton is co-writing and pointing "Therefore We Drove," a road movie the filmmaker describes as "ethereal."The tentatively entitled "Drove," now being scripted by Thornton and the longtime writing partner Tom Epperson, is among the first as high as six under-$20 million features to spring in the new $120 million film fund created by Alexander Rodnyansky's AR Films and Geyer Kosinski's Media Talent Group.Both fund and "Drove" were developed throughout producing tonight's Berlinale competition world premiere, "Jayne Mansfield's Vehicle," the producers' initial collaboration and Thornton's first narrative helming effort in greater than a decade. ("Vehicle" wasn't area of the fund.)Rodnyansky, who's creating alongside Kosinski, stated he hopes to get the very first draft in March and aims to begin a U.S.-based shoot sometime this season.InchI discovered the storyline amazing. It is a pretty new mixture of genres to place into one movie," stated Rodnyansky, who heard the "Drove" plotline at length from Thornton around the "Vehicle" set. "It's according to his personal encounters in lots of ways.InchThornton stated the film is all about "a man who's on the journey and accumulates this girl on the way, and what goes on for them. It comes down to the question of existence: 'What is? Where will i easily fit in?A "An insider stated the film is partially inspired by Thornton's wild and well-recorded relationship with ex-wife Julia Roberts, which Rodnyansky confirmed.The storyline happens all over the U.S., with stops in La, the South and also the deserts of recent Mexico and Arizona.Thornton stated he's received several distribution offers for his 2011 doc feature on Willie Nelson, "The King of Luck," since its SXSW premiere, but he's ready for just one having a theatrical release.Rodnyansky just established AR Films U.S., a production and purchasers arm produced together with "Vehicle" professional producer Sergei Bespalov's production/sales outfit Aldamisa Entertainment, and finally plans for doing things for presales on all his productions (including AR/MTG features) and outdoors projects.AR and MTG intend to announce more films using their fund within the coming days. Sales for "Vehicle" are now being handled by WME Global and Hyde Park in the EFM.Thornton is repped by WME and Media Talent Group. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com