Witherspoon linked to Fox's 'Nice'

Reese Witherspoon has been linked to a starring role in Fox Searchlight's dark comedy Nice.

According to Variety, the Monsters Vs Aliens actress will also produce the project, which is based on a novel by Ben Queen.

The original book tells the story of a magazine journalist who accidentally kills her lover. After discovering that she can get away with killing him quite easily, she realises that she has found a better way of disposing of unwanted lovers than simply breaking up with them.

Nice, which was published in 1998, was originally acquired by Warner Bros, who intended to use the film as a vehicle for Helen Hunt. However, the film never surfaced because of disputes over the movie's tone between Queen and producers.