The curvy chanteuse of Newlyweds fame has clinched the coveted role of Daisy Duke in the upcoming film The Dukes of Hazzard, Star magazine reports. Simpson's father and manager, Joe, gushed about his daughter's big screen debut. "She is really excited," he told Star. "Daisy Duke is right down her alley."

The remake of the late '70s-early '80s cult classic television show about the hick Duck cousins and their tricked-out Dodge Charger is set to begin production this summer. The "With You" singer nabbed the role out from under the pert noses of a posse of hopefuls--most notably, Britney Spears, who'd been rumored to be the frontrunner for the role. (We're thinking that someone in casting got a whiff of Spear's acting technique in Crossroads.)
Other screen queens said to have been in contention for the role include Mandy Moore (news) and Jessica Biel (news). Simpson's Hazzard triumph may serve as consolation for the would-be thespian whose sitcom pilot was rejected by ABC for its fall lineup