Zuleikha Robinson ("Rome") and Alexis Gilmore have joined the cast of the Fox drama pilot "New Amsterdam."

Lasse Hallström's secret commercial

The Swedish Hollywood director Lasse Hallström has just finished a big secretive commercial shooting. Resumé can exclusively reveal the details in this project. The commercial is made together with Rascal Films and Palma Pictures.

Producer Laurence Mark ("Jerry Maguire," "Dreamgirls") is eager to get his pet project "Sammy" to the screen. It is adapted from, of all things, a lunch conversation between Mark and writer Delia Ephron. "She was chatting about people who claim they speak to the dead, and I chimed in about pet psychics," he says. "We realized there was a romantic comedy here about a pet psychic who falls in love with a guy who talks to the dead. Naturally, when we discussed it with executives, they thought we were off our rockers."

Ephron decided to write the script anyway. "She realized the idea sounded wacky, but she understood that as a movie it would be about believing that all things are possible," says the producer, who is now in negotiations with Lasse Hallstrom to direct. "I'm determined to get it made," he says. "After all, like the movie, it's all about believing."

Lasse Hallstrom is making his foray into American television with the Fox drama pilot "New Amsterdam."

The Oscar-nominated director is set to helm and executive produce the Regency TV project from writers Allan Loeb and Christian Taylor.

Tentatively titled "New Amsterdam," the drama centers on a man cursed with immortality who works as a homicide detective in New York.

Hallstrom is executive producing the pilot with his producing partner Leslie Holleran, Loeb, Taylor and Loeb's producing partner Steven Pearl.

Hallstrom, who worked in television in his native Sweden for 10 years before coming to the U.S. in 1989, said he had been toying with the idea of venturing into U.S. television for years but that his feature schedule never permitted him to do a pilot.

With "New Amsterdam," he not only gets to go back to the medium where he started his career but also gets to tackle a new genre -- a detective drama.

"I was really intrigued by the writing," Hallstrom said. "I find it emotionally very strong with a very interesting lead character and a recognizable observation of human behavior."

Hallstrom was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the 1999 feature "The Cider House Rules" and for writing and directing the 1985 Swedish film "My Life as a Dog."

His feature directing credits also include "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "Chocolat," "The Shipping News" and "Casanova."

His latest film, "The Hoax," which stars Richard Gere, is slated to open April 6.

Hallstrom and Holleran are repped by CAA and attorney David Nochimson.