Renee Zellweger has signedon to star as Beatrix Potter in the biopic Miss Potter, which Babe director Chris Noonan will direct forDavid Kirschner Productions and Phoenix Pictures.

Thefilm, which at one point in its evolution had Cate Blanchett attached to starin the title role, is scheduled to begin shooting on March 6, 2006, on locationin the UK. Grosvenor Park is financing the project, while Summit Entertainmentwill handle international sales and distribution.

RichardMaltby Jr, the Tony Award-winning director, writer and lyricist whose creditsinclude Miss Saigon, Ain't Misbehavin and Fosse, wrote thescreenplay which explores the life of best-selling children's author Potter andher struggle for independence in chauvinistic Victorian England.

The filmcharts the transformation of an unhappy spinster into the author of books suchas The Tale Of Petter Rabbit.

MissPotter marks a return for Zellweger to an English role following herOscar-nominated performance as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones's Diary and its sequel The Edge Of Reason. She will also act as executive producer on thefilm.

Producersare Phoenix's Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer and David Thwaites and David KirschnerProductions' David Kirschner and Corey Sienega.

The project was brought intoPhoenix by vice president of production Thwaites who will oversee for thecompany. Zellweger is represented by John Carrabino and CAA. CAA alsorepresents Noonan, while Endeavor represents Maltby Jr.

Phoenix also produced theupcoming All The King's Men starringSean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Mark Ruffalo, PatriciaClarkson and Anthony Hopkins and is in production on Zodiac directed by David Fincher and starring JakeGyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Edwards and Brian Cox as well as Pathfinder directed by Marcus Nispel and starring Karl Urban.

David Kirschner Produdctionsrecently wrapped Martian Child directedby Menno Meyjes starring John Cusack for New Line and is in prodution on CuriousGeorge being co-produced withImagine Entertainment.

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