When the Michael Douglas-Glenn Close thriller "Fatal Attraction" opens Sept. 18 via Paramount, you may do a double take over one of the credits: "Screenplay by James Dearden, from his original screenplay."
See, in 1979, Dearden wrote/directed a 45-minute film, "Diversion." "Fatal Attraction" co-producer Sherry Lansing saw the film and hired Dearden to expand his script to feature length. Problems allegedly cropped up when "Fatal Attraction" director Adrian Lyne disputed Dearden's desired credit (neither Lyne nor Dearden returned our calls).
