Jessica Alba Signs On To ‘Barely Lethal’

Jessica Alba has signed on to play a villain in the upcoming action-comedy film Barely Lethal.

Barely Lethal focuses on Megan (Hailee Steinfeld), a 16-year-old assassin who fakes her own death in order to get away from her employers and start a new life as a high school student in the suburbs. Former associate Victoria Knox (Alba) suspects something isn’t right and hunts her down.

The film will also star Samuel L. Jackson as Megan’s mentor. Further plot details are being kept under wraps. Barely Lethal will be directed by Kyle Newman (Fanboys) and written by John D’Arco.

Alba will also be starring in Robert Rodriguez’s Machete Kills, the third film based on Grindhouse fake trailers. Alba will reprise her role as Sartana Rivera, a “a beautiful immigrations officer torn between enforcing the law and doing what is popular in the eyes of her familia.”

Earlier this year, Alba praised Rodriguez and the cast of Machete Kills.

“The cast that he put together for this one is bananas. Robert really has a gift in so many ways. He certainly put together a really cool and eclectic cast,” she said. “It’s so fun and the cameos are amazing. I have a smaller role in this one.”

Alba will also be reprising her role as Nancy Callahan in Sin City: A Dame To Kill For. Alba said the experience was the best of her career so far.

“Working with Robert and Frank [Miller] again was inspiring to watch them. They were already so seasoned before they came together for the first Sin City and just to see how they both have grown as artists,” she said. “Then to see them come together again and how well they work together, it’s profound what they come up with and what they have done. All their dreams have become fully realized I feel like. When the process is this fun and exciting you know the product is going to be so cool.”

[Photo credit: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com]