Hilary Swank to Pack on Pounds for Meaty Role

extremely thin star to gain weight back for role

Those concerned over Hilary Swank's plummeting weight can rest easy—maybe. The two-time Oscar nabber is next set to pack on the pounds (and a lot of 'em) to play the lead in French Women Don't Get Fat, an adaptation of Mireille Guiliano's best-selling book, which Swank will also produce.

"She'll gain 20 to 30 pounds," we're told by a source close to the production. "It's no sweat. She's played a man before. She can handle anything."

Yeah, but others close to her are expressing concerns over Hilary-hon's heart. Details 'n' dirt after the jump...

As we just reported, some of Swank's colleagues are more than concerned about her alarmingly thin frame, which is so tiny, some say Chad Lowe's former wife is looking downright frail. But anything for a meaty part, eh?

While French Women is nonfiction, an early premise says Swank will play the manager of a champagne company dealing with French beauties who consume bread, wine and pastries yet never gain an ounce. And naturally, self discovery happens along the way.

Swank joins a slew of Hollywood peers gaining weight for work, such as Eva Longoria Parker and her newly zaftig character Gabrielle on Desperate Housewives, as well as daddy-type Matt Damon, who packed on pounds for The Informant. Still, Hill-babe ain't too happy about the physical requirements, a fat little birdie told us, whatever—ain't a third Oscar worth it?

A rep for Swank would only confirm that the project is indeed upcoming, not Swank's next. We hear otherwise.

—Additional English-screwin' reporting by Matt Donnelly