Reese to star in, produce rom-com

Reese Witherspoon has landed a starring role in another romantic comedy.

The 36-year-old actress, who has appeared in several rom-coms including Sweet Home Alabama, Four Christmases and This Means War - will also be a producer on The Beard, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

So far little is known about the plot of the film, and no further casting details have been released.

Reese, who is expecting her third child, and her first with new husband Jim Toth, is currently working on drama Devil's Knot, which is about the West Memphis 3 murder controversy.

The film is based on Mara Leveritt's 2003 book and tells the story of teens Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, who were tried in 1993 for the killing of three eight-year-old boys. They were sent to prison despite a lack of evidence and after years of appeals were finally released last year with 10-year suspended sentences.

Reese will play the mother of one of the murder victims while Colin Firth is starring as a private investigator who became the trio's first champion.