Variety magazine is reporting that Mischa Barton will star in the upcoming "Russian coming-of-age drama" Finding t.A.T.u., which is all about--you guessed it--the faux lesbian girl band of the same name. Barton has played queer/queer friendly before, in Once and Again, The O.C. and Lost and Delirious, respectively. And if that's not enough proof that she's well-suited for Finding t.A.T.u., note this photo of her butching it up with a basketball, sports jersey, and, um, a miniskirt.

Here's the lowdown on the film per Wikipedia:

"The story is based on actual events, but the story is derived from the book t.A.T.u. Come Back, not a direct interpretation. Set against a background of music, internet chatrooms and hedonistic Moscow nightlife, the story follows friendless American teenager Janie Sawyer who is trying to escape her lonely life in Moscow through her love of music. Janie meets Lana Starkova in a fansite for the popular pop-band t.A.T.u. Trapped in a provincial Russian town, Lana is desperate to flee her mundane life and the two girls develop an instant connection. Their trip to a t.A.T.u. concert becomes the catalyst for a series of adventures that will not only test their newfound friendship, but also their ideals and aspirations."

The film will be helmed by formerly respected director Roland Joffé, best known for the Academy Award-winning The Killing Fields as well as a little gem called Goodbye Lover (starring Ellen DeGeneres and Patricia "Should Have Been On the AfterEllen.com Hot 100 list" Arquette). … continue reading