Renee: Excited to work with Johnny

Renee Zellweger has revealed she can't wait to work with Johnny Knoxville.

The Bridget Jones actress is stepping behind the camera to direct a new film about stand-up comedy, which both she and the Jackass star will appear in, and she told The Hollywood Reporter: "It's the most I've looked forward to a summer since high school."

The film, titled 4 1/2 Minutes, follows a commitment-phobic, train-wreck comedian (Johnny) whose life is falling apart when he takes a job looking after the son of a single mother (Renee).

The actress said: "We gave a lot of thought to this character, and the idea of Johnny in the role seemed undeniably ideal. The part asks more of him as an actor than any previous undertaking, and he's surely up to the challenge.

"Johnny's going to surprise a lot of people. He's got a reputation as a generous co-star, on and off camera, and he's so excited to get started with the heavy prep work and is ready for the journey. He fits right in with this band-of-thieves effort.

"It might just be a little fun. Might just be."

Renee is also producing the movie, which starts shooting next year, and said she is "learning so much".

She explained: "I never fully understood before that there aren't really any guidelines; the job's just not stopping when it seems everyone has said 'no'. I love the partnerships you form and the chess game of finding a way to make all the necessary pieces come together simultaneously.

"It's wrangling cats at times, but when you believe in what motivates the efforts, it comes really naturally and every baby step forward is a tremendous triumph. It's a lot of fun."