by Chris Gardner

LOS ANGELES, CA --- Jennifer Love Hewitt is to star opposite Jackie Chan in DreamWorks Pictures' action-comedy "The Tuxedo" (or "The Tux") for commercial director Kevin Donovan, who is making his feature debut on the project. "Tuxedo" is scheduled to start shooting on September 10, 2001 in Toronto and else where.

Hewitt plays a government agent who is paired with a bumbling spy (Chan) who invents a tuxedo that helps him fight the bad guys. The project is expected to launch a franchise for the studio.

Writing team Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who co-wrote the Kirsten Dunst starrer "crazy/beautiful," wrote the script for "Tuxedo." Michael G. Wilson ("James Bond" veteran writer) wrote the most recent draft. "Shrek" producer John H. Williams will produce the film.

Hewitt, repped by Creative Artists Agency, most recently starred in MGM's #1 hit "Heartbreakers." Her other credits include the #1 rating hit ABC telefilm "The Audrey Hepburn Story" from Robert Greenwald, Endemol Entertainment and Love's Love Spell Entertainment, and the films "Can't Hardly Wait" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and its sequel, "I Still Know....". She also filmed a leading role opposite Anthony Hopkins in Alec Baldwin's directorial debut, "The Devil and Daniel Webster," for Cutting Edge Entertainment & Baldwin's El Dorado Pictures, scheduled for a release in the Winter of 2001.

And Jennifer Love Hewitt has signed a multimillion dollar deal with Jive Records (owned by Zomba Entertainment, a part of the BMG Music Group). Her fourth full lenght CD of Hewitt original compositions are scheduled for release in 2002.

The DreamWorks' movie is scheduled for a release date in the Spring of 2002.

Story: © 2001 The Hollywood Reporter in association with My Love Hewitt Websites. All Rights Reserved.
Image: © 2001 Wireimage.com. All Rights Reserved.

UPDATE FROM MY LOVE HEWITT WEBSITES:

"THE TUXEDO" OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE WAS SEPTEMBER 27, 2002.