Jenna Fischer the Latest Hollywood Zookeeper in “The Giant Mechanical Man”

After years ably playing the sexy/funny eye-candy, Jenna Fischer is taking her shot as a leading lady.

Fischer has signed on to star in "The Giant Mechanical Man," in which she'll play a zookeeper who falls for a street performer, Chris Messina, while her sister, Malin Ackerman, tries to set her up with a douche-y motivational speaker, Topher Grace.

This marks the third film inn the pipeline that features a lead character working in a zoo, with Kevin James "The Zookeeper" coming July 8, and "We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon (and maybe Scarlett Johansson) arriving Dec. 23, 2011. More than coincidence? You decide!

How did Ms. Fischer come upon such a plum role? It was written by her husband Lee Kirk, who will also be directing. Messina no doubt got involved thanks to his relationship with Fischer's "Office" husband, John Krasinski, with whom he's done a couple of films.

Having reached her saturation/over-exposure point on "The Office," Fischer is finally getting her movie career in gear. Just before "Mechanical" was announced, the trailer for "Hall Pass," about a couple of husbands, Owen Wilson and Jason Sudekis, who are given one week off from their marriage by their wives, played by Fischer and Christina Applegate. It looks pretty flat and unfunny, but it's loaded with some hella funny people, so maybe there's hope.

"The Giant Mechanical Man" starts shooting in Detroit later this month.

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