Toronto 2012: Renée Zellweger to Make Directorial Debut With Comedy '4 1/2 Minutes'

TORONTO -- Renée Zellweger is moving behind the camera.

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The actress will make her directorial debut with the comedy 4½ Minutes. Zellweger also will star alongside Johnny Knoxville in the film that is set in New York's stand-up comedy world.

The film's financing and sales deal was finished Thursday between K5 International and Kevin Frakes’ PalmStar Media Capital.

Knoxville will play Jimmy Bennett, a commitment-phobic, train-wreck comedian whose life is falling apart when he takes a job looking after the genius son of single mom P.J. Andersen (Zellweger).

Written by Anthony Tambakis (Warrior) and based on the life and comedy of real-life stand-up Dov Davidoff (with whom Tambakis created the story), the film will be produced by Frakes, Zellweger and Tambakis through their All Together Now banner. Raj Brinder Singh will executive produce.

Production will kick off in February in New York.

K5 is presenting the project to buyers at the Toronto International Film Fest.

CAA is handling North American rights.

The project marks the third collaboration for Zellweger and Tambakis, who recently received a pilot order for their original series Cinnamon Girl. Zellweger also will star in the upcoming Broadway adaptation of The Hustler, written by Tambakis and to be directed by Gavin O’Connor.

In 2009, K5 acquired a stake in PalmStar and entered into a representation deal.