Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez will return to the big screen in upcoming thriller "The Boy Next Door". According to the Huffington Post, the 44-year-old star will play the role of a cougar: a newly separated mother who starts a romance with a teenage boy.
The movie is based on a script by Barbara Curry and will be produced by Jason Blum ("Paranormal Activity" and "The Purge"). The Post reported Rob Cohen ("xXx") is currently in talks to direct the film, which is set to begin shooting this fall.
Lopez, who in the past was criticized for having a relationship with 26-year-old boyfriend Casper Smart since October 2011, will portray a woman that faces trouble when she tries to end the relationship with the boy, who is a close friend of her son, IMDB reported.
The actress talked about her relationship with Smart, with whom she has an 18-year age difference, during an interview for the October issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.
"For me, it's about having a great partner to walk this life with. I have my own high standards for what I want in a partner and how I want to be treated. I bring a lot to the table. I'm not talking about material things but what I have to offer as a person - love and loyalty and all the things that make a good relationship," said the "On The Floor" singer.
The Latina superstar also opened up about her biggest insecurity in life: her singing skills. Although she is regarded as one of the most influential Hispanic performers in the world, Lopez confessed that she only acknowledged her own talent after she gave birth to twins Max and Emme in February 2008.
"The biggest insecurity I had was my singing. Even though I had sold 70 million records, there was this feeling like, I'm not good at this. And while I was married to Marc [Anthony], he helped me get over it," Lopez told Cosmopolitan, according to E! Online. "He kept telling me, 'You're the only one holding yourself back from reaching your full potential as a singer. You have to let go.'"
Lopez realized her hard work was definitely paying off. "I was always so insecure and just kind of going along," added Lopez. "Then I grew, little by little, and realized, Wait a minute, this is not a fluke. I'm not a mistake - I work my ass off. And I know what I'm doing."