Reese Witherspoon gets Earnest

Actress Reese Witherspoon (Election, Cruel Intentions) is joining the cast of The Importance of Being Earnest, based on the play by Oscar Wilde. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the role will mark Witherspoon’s first time acting with a British accent or in a period film. The film, to be directed by Oliver Parker (who also brought Wilde’s An Ideal Husband to the screen) and costarring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, and Judi Dench, is scheduled to begin shooting April 23.