Oscar-winner Renee Zellweger is to star in a new western alongside veteran actor Ed Harris and "Lord of the Rings" star Viggo Mortensen, it was reported on Tuesday.

Harris, nominated four times for an Oscar during his career, will direct the film, "Appaloosa", which he also co-wrote, entertainment industry journal Daily Variety reported.

The film is adapted from Robert B. Parker's novel and centers on a pair of friends who are hired to protect a lawless town.

The film will see Harris reunite with Mortensen after the pair collaborated on David Cronenberg's acclaimed drama "A History of Violence" in 2005.

Zellweger, who won an Oscar in 2004 for her performance in period drama "Cold Mountain", will feature in upcoming films "Leatherheads" and "Case 39."