Jerry's first movie... and it's about bees

Jerry Seinfeld has announced his first major Hollywood project, five years after quitting his top-rated sitcom.

The comedian has already started writing the script for the computer-animated film Bee Movie, and will provide the voice of one of the anthropomorphised bees.

The film, which will take three years, is being made by Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg's DreamWorks studios.

Katzenberg told trade journal Variety: "You can see by how well his series does that his comic voice is unique, and the idea of capturing that evergreen quality on film has been a dream for many of us."

Seinfeld claimed: "I have always been fascinated by bee society, the world's most harmoniously run organization, and now I finally am going to be in it. The enthusiasm of Jeffrey and Steven for this idea is the main reason I decided to do it."

Seinfeld manager Howard Shapiro added: "Jerry likes to try different things and new challenges, and he likes the freedom animation gives him to run wild. He's excited, he's immersed and he's turned on."

Seinfeld recently returned to the stand-up circuit, making the documentary Comedian about his progress.

Published: 9 Dec 2003