Renee Zellweger Retires from Non-animated Films

Renee Zellweger stunned Hollywood yesterday by announcing that her current project, the thriller Case 39, will be her last live-action film. In a statement released by her production company, the Bridget Jones star declared that in the future she will lend her talents only to animated features.

Whether this will include television or Internet-based animation was not revealed in the statement.

Ms. Zellweger, who was married to country idol Kenny Chesney for fifteen minutes last year, had hinted that she was considering a dramatic turn in her career.

In fact, while the Katy, Texas, native was on a publicity tour for the animated Shark Tale two years ago, she confided to co-voice Angelina Jolie, “After doing animation, I don’t ever want to step in front of a camera again. Hanging around in sweats, drinking margaritas, looking like a fat, biker chick, and not even having to memorize your lines beats the stuffing out of the inanity of wardrobe and make-up hell.”

Had it not been for prior film commitments, Ms. Zellweger might have retired from non-animated films sooner. Her mind was clearly elsewhere during her performances in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Cinderella Man. That elsewhere, of course, was Jerry Seinfeld’s upcoming animated comedy, Bee Movie, in which Ms. Zellweger provides the voice of Vanessa.

Such is Ms. Zellweger’s commitment to animated films that she is seeking capital with which to start her own production company.

“I am a huge fan of Japanese hentai pornography,” said Ms. Zellweger. “I’d really like to get my voice around some of those roles.”

Seeking to trade the glamorous lifestyle for a more folksy setting, Ms. Zellweger, 37, is said to be contemplating a move to Austin, Texas. She has hinted to friends that she has “night dreams” about rekindling her on-again-off-again relationship with Matthew McConaughey, 37, her co-star in 1994’s cult classic the Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

This inclination signals another about-face for Ms. Zellweger, who had previously been rumored to be moving to Italy and pursuing her on-again-off-again relationship with George Clooney.