Rich girl finds love

Simpson to star in 'Service' from chick-lit tome

By DANA HARRIS

Simpson

Jessica Simpson will star in "Room Service," an adaptation of the chick-lit novel by Beverly Brandt. Simpson's father and manager, Joe Simpson, will produce the pic with Gale Ann Hurd, Randall Emmett and George Furla.

"Room Service" is a romantic comedy that follows a spoiled young heiress who's been disinherited by her father. Forced to abandon her socialite lifestyle, she takes a job in the hotel where she must work to pay off her tab. Along the way, she finds love and learns that not getting what you want can be its own best reward.

Janus Cercone ("Leap of Faith") will adapt the screenplay, which will be developed for the actress.

Executive producers are Elisa Salinas as well as Ashli Stockton, who brought the novel to Emmett/Furla Films, and M. Dal Walton. Stephen Tao and Stephen Emery oversee on behalf of Hurd's Valhalla Motion Pictures.

Emmett/Furla is funding development of "Room Service" before they take the project to studios, much as they did with "The Amityville Horror."

Simpson is slated to star as Daisy Duke in the feature adaptation of "The Dukes of Hazzard" for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Emmett/Furla recently reupped its production and financing arrangement with Avi Lerner's Millennium Films for another seven pictures, with budgets ranging between $25 million and $45 million.

Upcoming titles under that deal include "88 Minutes" directed by James Foley, Bruce Beresford's "The Contract," and David Burke's "Edison," starring Morgan Freeman, Justin Timberlake, LL Cool J and Kevin Spacey.