Aniston circles Hamburg project for Uni, Jersey

Fri Oct 4, 2:09 AM ET

By Chris Gardner

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Fresh off her "Friends" Emmy win for best actress in a comedy series, Jennifer Aniston is in negotiations to star opposite Ben Stiller, Debra Messing and Philip Seymour Hoffman in the untitled John Hamburg project for Universal Pictures and Jersey Films.

If a deal for Aniston is made, it would give the actress a very busy fall schedule because she would shoot the Hamburg project -- due to begin production next month -- concurrently with her duties on the NBC series as well her role opposite Jim Carrey in the Tom Shadyac-directed "Bruce Almighty," also for Universal and partner Spyglass Entertainment.

In the Hamburg comedy, Aniston would star as a woman who gets involved in a risky romance with a married man (Stiller). Messing plays his wife, while Hoffman is set to star as his best friend.

Jersey partners Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher are producing the project, which is being overseen by Universal executive vp production Allison Shearmur.

Aniston is repped by CAA.

Last month, she picked up her first Emmy Award for her work as Rachel Green on "Friends" and took the stage with the show's producers, who accepted best comedy series trophies for the veteran sitcom.

She is onscreen in Fox Searchlight's dark comedy "The Good Girl."