Hot off a killer past 18 months with darker turns in Young Adult, Snow White and the Huntsman and Prometheus, Oscar winner Charlize Theron is looking to do something a bit lighter in tone.  THR reports that Theron is in talks to star in director John Madden’s (Shakespeare in Love) comedy whodunit Murder Mystery.  The project, written by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man), has actually been in development for several years with State of Play director Kevin Macdonald attached to helm at one point.  Hit the jump for more.

Per THR, the story for Murder Mystery concerns a couple on their honeymoon who are implicated in a murder they witnessed and is described as “an affectionate deconstruction of an Agatha Christie-style thriller.”  Theron recently stretched her darkly comedic chops in Young Adult, and if you’ve seen her in interviews it’s obvious that the actress has a swell sense of humor.  Madden is coming off of great reviews for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and I’m interested to see who he pairs with Theron in Murder Mystery.

The actress recently shaved her head in preparation for George Miller’s long-in-development Mad Max: Fury Road opposite Tom Hardy.  That film has been pushed backed numerous times over the years but is finally gearing up to begin production in a few short weeks.  Though Theron will likely be busy with Mad Max for the next few months, it’s feasible that Murder Mystery could shoot later this year if everything lines up.