PROZAC NATION FINALLY SET FOR RELEASE

CHRISTINA RICCI's movie PROZAC NATION is finally set to see the light of day more than for years after it was made - on cable TV.

The adaptation of ELIZABETH WURTZEL's 1994 bestselling depression memoir, which features Ricci as the pill-popping Wurtzel and JESSICA LANGE as her mother, reportedly sat on the shelf for such a long time after a negative reaction from test audiences.

But the $9 million (GBP4.7 million) movie will now be released on American cable network STARZ! next month (MAR05).

STEPHAN SHELANSKI, senior vice president of programming for the network, tells ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, "It's a good film. (The movie's difficult subject matter) may have had a hard time attracting people to theatres.

"Starz! is in 15 million homes, so if the movie reaches 20 per cent of our viewers, that's 3 million right there."

Bosses at MIRAMAX, who plans to release the film on DVD eventually, say of the reported $900,000 (GBP473,684) deal, "(It's) a great way for a larger audience to see the film."