BURBANK, Calif., May 15 /PRN/ -- Sidney Poitier and Tom Berenger have been set to star for director Roger Spottiswoode (''Under Fire,'' ''The Last Innocent Man'') in Touchstone Pictures' ''Mountain King,'' a suspenseful action/drama which began shooting in Vancouver, British Columbia, April 15, it was announced by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Richard Frank, chairman and president, respectively, of Walt Disney Studios. The movie also stars Kirstie Alley and Clancy Brown.

Poitier plays a street-wise FBI agent forced to battle for his own survival when an escaped killer lures him to a treacherous mountain setting. A skilled trail guide (played by Berenger) joins the manhunt when his girlfriend becomes the killers' hostage.

''Mountain King'' is executive produced by Phil Rogers, who developed the project. Ron Silverman, whose credits include ''The Last Innocent Man'' and ''Brubaker,'' along with Daniel Petrie Jr., who wrote ''Beverly Hills Cop,'' are the producers. A Touchstone Pictures presentation in association with Silver Screen Partners III, the motion picture is tentatively scheduled to be released early next year.

An Oscar winner as Best Actor for his performance in ''Lilies of the Field'' (1963), Poitier's film credits include ''The Blackboard Jungle,'' ''Edge of the City,'' ''Porgy and Bess,'' ''The Defiant Ones,'' ''A Raisin in the Sun,'' ''In the Heat of the Night,'' ''To Sir with Love,'' and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?'' After directing such hit films as ''Uptown Saturday Night'' and ''Stir Crazy,'' he recently starred in ''Little Nikita.''

Berenger was an Oscar nominee this year for his role as Sgt. Barnes in the Academy Award-winning drama ''Platoon.'' His other motion picture credits include ''The Big Chill'' and ''Eddie and the Cruisers.'' He also stars in the upcoming feature, ''Someone to Watch Over Me.''

Alley had starring roles in ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,'' ''Runaway'' and ''Champions.'' Brown's feature films include ''Highlander'' and ''The Bride.'' He can currently be seen in ''Extreme Prejudice.''

Spottiswoode previously directed the motion pictures ''Under Fire'' and ''Best of Times'' as well as the HBO feature ''The Last Innocent Man.'' He wrote the screenplay for the hit film ''48 Hrs.'' and worked as an editor with such notable filmmakers as Sam Peckinpah, Karel Reisz and Walter Hill.

Rogers, who is president and chief executive officer of Century Park Pictures Corp., developed the material that attracted Poitier and Touchstone Pictures. He is a former executive with both Barry & Enright/Rogers Productions and Universal Television as well as a successful literary agent.

As a producer, Silverman most recently collaborated with director Spottiswoode on ''The Last Innocent Man.'' He has also produced such films as ''Brubaker'' and ''Lifeguard.'' Petrie wrote the screenplay for ''Beverly Hills Cop'' and the recently completed ''The Big Easy.''

Touchstone Pictures is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of the Walt Disney Co.

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