Hilary Duff joins "Cool" school

By Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Hilary Duff, who won raves for her role as an Asian superstar in the political satire "War, Inc." has found a way to beat the heat, joining the cast of the new comedy "Stay Cool."

Duff co-stars in "Cool" with Winona Ryder, Sean Astin, Chevy Chase and Jon Cryer. The project comes from filmmakers Mark and Michael Polish, and begins shooting next month.

It is described as a "knowing-your-age comedy," centering on a successful author (Mark Polish) who is forced to confront an unrequited high school crush (Ryder) when he returns home to deliver a commencement address to graduating seniors.

Duff will portray a sexy high school senior who flirts with the visiting author and invites him to the prom.

The actress has been slowly moving beyond the tween audience that powered her to stardom with the Disney TV series "Lizzie McGuire" and a succession of chart-topping albums. She will be back in the studio to work on her fifth album this summer.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter