"Basic Instinct" Screenwriter Finds God

(AP)  "Basic Instinct" screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is moving from racy to religious for his next Hollywood project.

The writer whose credits include the sexually explicit megabomb "Showgirls" plans an original screenplay on the Virgin of Guadalupe, an icon of the Virgin Mary that supposedly appeared to a Mexican peasant in the 16th century.

Once notorious as a heavy boozer and smoker in Hollywood, Eszterhas overcame his addictive habits and found God after he was diagnosed with throat cancer.

"This is a labor of love for me," Eszterhas said. "I have been hoping for some time to write a film that is both entertaining and inspiring."

Eszterhas' as-yet-untitled Guadalupe project is being written for Mpower Pictures, founded by producer Stephen McEveety, whose credits include Mel Gibson's religious blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ."

"Basic Instinct" with Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone established Eszterhas as one of Hollywood's top screenwriters, while the much-anticipated "Showgirls" became one of the industry's all-time flops.