Vanessa Hudgens will star in ‘Beastly’

CBS Films has tapped Vanessa Hudgens to topline teen romancer “Beastly,” with Susan Cartsonis producing via her Storefront Films shingle.

Daniel Barnz is directing from his own script, centering on an arrogant 17-year-old who’s hideously transformed in order to find true romance.

Story’s based on Alex Flinn’s fantasy novel, a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” set in modern-day New York. CBS acquired feature rights to “Beastly” in late 2007 as one of its first projects.

Hudgens, last seen in “High School Musical 3: Senior year,” is also set for Zack Snyder’s fantasy-drama “Sucker Punch.”