The Hollywood Reporter announced on Wednesday night that Liv Tyler is in negotiations to join Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in Miramax Films' JERSEY GIRL for Movie Poop Shoot founder Kevin Smith. Smith told the Shoot that "We needed someone to play the Jersey Elf Queen. Naturally, Liv was our first choice." Tyler most recently portrayed the Elf Queen in the blockbuster feature "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." She also will star in the next two installments of the "Rings" trilogy: "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King."

Production on JERSEY GIRL is slated to begin Aug. 12 in Philadelphia. Affleck and Tyler previously worked together on 1998's ARMAGEDDON. JERSEY GIRL is about a man named Ollie Trinke, played by Affleck, and the effects a new wife, Lopez, and 6-year-old daughter have on his seemingly full life. Tyler plays Maya, a video store clerk who has a significant impact on Ollie. George Carlin also stars as Affleck's father. Scott Mosier of Smith's View Askew Prods. is producing JERSEY, which kicked into high gear last month after Affleck and Lopez decided to team for a second time, following a collaboration on the upcoming Revolution Studios feature GIGLI.