Zooey Deschanel to Star in Julia Stiles' Short Film

BuzzSugar — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 10:13:29 -0700

Elle Magazine just got so much cooler: The women's magazine is getting into the production business, and it's kicking off a series of "creative projects" with a short film directed by Julia Stiles and starring Zooey Deschanel. The 20-minute movie, titled Raving, is about two strangers in New York "on destructive paths who, over the course of an extended encounter that starts out hostile, nudge each other toward something better." The film debuts on May 8 on the Sundance Channel.

As a 26-year-old who has never done anything remotely like directing, Stiles may seem like a shaky choice for this kind of project. But Deschanel's co-star, Bill Irwin, told Elle he was very impressed with her abilities:

"As an actor - and this is the ultimate compliment - I would love to do it again," says the Tony-winning Irwin. "A first-time director can give you pause, but even under the pressure of a four-day shoot when it's 102 degrees, Julia had the presence of mind to stop and think-and then say something just right."

In fact, the trailer for the film looks pretty good, especially the part at the end when Deschanel is singing "Hello, Dolly!" in her sultry voice. Check out the preview and tell me what you think.