Don’t you just love it when celebrities have to pack on weight for film roles? In this case, it’ll be nice to see Hilary Swank having a little meat on her bones (a planned 20 to 30 pound weight gain) for her role in “French Women Don’t Get Fat.”

“French Women Don’t Get Fat” is an adaptation of Mireille Guiliano’s best-selling book; Hilary Swank will also produce the film.

Hilary Swank and her producing partner, Molly Smith, have bought the rights to the 2004 best-seller “French Women Don’t Get Fat,” by sMireille Guiliano. Hilary Swank may also star in the romantic comedy.

The film version will vary from the nonfiction book, focusing on the manager of a champagne who has difficult life lessons to make.

Filmmaker Mira Nair will be directing Hilary Swank as pilot Amelia Earhart in a biopic written by Ron Bass. Production starts in April, and Swank will be an executive producer. She’ll also be appearing in Birds of America this year, and is currently in 2007’s P.S. I Love You.

Nair is directing New York, I Love You (2008) – which she also wrote – and Shantaram (2009). She’s producing Little Zizou and Gangsta M.D., both for 2008.

Actually, not sure if I love Hilary Swank, not having seen her in a lot of roles other than as Brandon Teena in Boys Don’t Cry. She tends to take on roles in “true story” types of movies, so a tearjerker romantic comedy seems completely out of character, but the trailer makes it look like interesting. And tearjerking. Ahem *chickflick*. The movie opens this Friday, Dec 21st. Lisa Kudrow of Friends fame also appears.

Swank also appeared in Freedom Writers and The Reaping this year, and will appear in Birds of America in 2008.

Hilary Swank is the covergirl on the Jan 2008 issue of W magazine. In her interview, she talks about the guy she’s in love with, boyfriend John Campisi, as well being a vitamin popper – taking as much as 45 supplements each day. (She’s been following celebrity nutritionist Oz Garcia for seven years.)

Swank probably first really came to notice for her role as Brandon Teena, in 1999’s controversial true-life film Boy’s Don’t Cry about a girl who preferred to dress and act as a boy but suffered for it. But she spent a fair bit of time on TV before that, including in Beverly Hills, 90210. This year, Swank has appeared in P.S. I Love You, The Reaping, and Freedom Writers. She’ll appear in Birds of America in 2008.