Heroes

Hayden Panettiere is already known for playing cheerleaders in Heroes and Bring It On: All or Nothing, and now she may pick up the pom-poms again for a feature film.  Panettiere is currently in talks to star as the titular character in I Love You, Beth Cooper, based on the comedic young-adult novel by Larry Doyle, who is a former writer for The Simpsons.  However, unlike the squeaky clean cheerleader she plays on Heroes, Beth Cooper is a bit of a bad girl who gives a nerdy teenager the wild night of his life.  If the film sticks closely to the novel, this could be a naughtier, more adult role than anything Panettiere has played to date.

The story revolves around a supreme geek named Denis Cooverman.  During his high school graduation speech, he announces to the entire class that he's in love with extremely hot cheerleader Beth Cooper.  Beth is repulsed, her boyfriend is enraged, and Denis's possibly gay best friend Rich is horrified.  But after Beth surprisingly shows up at Denis's graduation party, the night turns into a rollicking adventure that is much closer in tone to the sex crazed Superbad than to Bring It On.

If Panettiere accepts the role, it will mark her first major appearance in a feature film since the start of the Heroes phenomenon.  Though no other potential cast members have been mentioned, Chris Columbus is in talks to direct.  He's the man behind such films as Adventures in Babysitting, Home Alone, and the first two Harry Potter adaptations.

The only problem that I Love You, Beth Cooper could face is the seemingly never ending writers' strike.  It's unknown whether the film has a completed screenplay, and if not it may be awhile before Panettiere's bad girl cheerleader routine hits the big screen.

- Don Williams, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Variety
(Image courtesy of NBC)