Renee Zellweger has signed on to both direct and star in 4 1/2 Minutes, a comedy based on the stand-up of Dov Davidoff. Variety reports that Johnny Knoxville is also attached to play Jimmy Bennett, Davidoff's on-screen alter ego.

Anthony Tambakis provided the screenplay for the project, which sees Bennett taking a job babysitting a child genius with Zellweger playing the boy's single mother.

4 1/2 Minutes marks Zellweger's directing debut and is targeting a February 2013 production in New York City.

(Photo Credit: Joseph Marzullo / ACC / ZOJ /WENN.com)