It's not like I think Hillary Duff is a bad actress (although I think the NYT might have something to say about that particular statement), it's just that she's hasn't had the chance yet to break out of the 'Lizzie McGuire mode' -- unless you consider the mountains of gossip surrounding her over the last two years...very "un-Disney". Duff will get her first shot at a slightly more serious role in Greta. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Duff will star in Nancy Bardawil's drama about "a waitress who falls for an ambitious cook at the restaurant where they work. But as their summer romance heats up, she has to overcome the concerns of her grandparents about her boyfriend's criminal past". Joining Duff are Ellen Burstyn and Michael Murphy as Duff's overprotective grandparents and ATL star Evan Ross will play the cook with a shady past.

The film was written by Michael Gilvary, who is making his feature debut along with director Nancy Bardawil. A music video director by trade, Bardawil has made videos for The Goo Goo Dolls, Dixie Chicks, and Hole -- but no Duff appears on the list, so at least Bardawil wasn't playing favorites when choosing her lead. Duff is still working on being one of the voice talents in the CGI family flick Foodfight! But, along with her debut in War Inc. (a sequel of sorts to Grosse Point Blank with John Cusack) she has already signed to star in Safety Glass, yet another drama that surrounds the Challenger disaster. Aww, our little starlet is finally growing up.

If the director of The Kentucky Fried Horror Show has his way, Jessica Simpson is going to be the next great "Scream Queen." Rush PR News is reporting that director C.L. Gregory, who helmed the 2006 direct-to-video zombie film Blood Lake, is in serious talks to get Simpson to star in his next indie-horror project. The film, which thankfully has nothing to do with the 1977 comedy The Kentucky Fried Movie, is set in the Pentecostal south and follows a group of college kids on a road trip who come across a murderous religious cult. Cinematical has contacted Simpson's reps to get a comment, but no word yet.

Now brace yourself, this is what the director had to say about Simpson's on-screen abilities: "I felt that the script needed someone that could carry the weight of its character and without doubt, Jessica was my first and only consideration for the role. She's never done a horror film to date and we felt she was ready for a project like this as it will be a very emotional and demanding piece of work for her. But I don't see anyone who can pull it off better than Jessica Simpson." I guess he saw some kind of "emotional range" in her work in Employee of The Month that some of us might have missed. Gregory seems to be mining the "starlet set" for the cast, since he is also trying to cast Hilary Duff for another role in the film. As for Simpson, she has finished up work on the Working Girl remake Blonde Ambition, which is due for a summer release -- so she could have time in her schedule. I'm just not convinced Simpson pull off a horror film heroine role, but at least we know she has the "lung capacity" for some truly ear-piercing screams.