Helen Hunt

Helen Hunt

Helen Hunt will direct and star in 'Ride'.

The actress has secured funding for the project - which she will also write and produce - and will make it her second directorial effort following 2007 debut 'Then She Found Me'.

Hunt - who earned a Best Actress nomination for 'The Sessions' at the Oscars this year - will appear alongside Australian newcomer Brenton Thwaites as her 20 year-old son who has moved from New York City to California for the summer to pursue a career in surfing.

The plot thickens as both mother and son find their own versions of love, sex and grace in unlikely circumstances.

Luke Wilson, David Zayas, Mike White, Richard Kind, Leonor Varela, Elizabeth Jayne have been lined-up as cast members, also.

According to Deadline, production is tipped to begin on August 5 in California and will move to New York in october.

Hunt is producing with Lizzie Friedman, Gregg Little and Moon Blauner, while Matthew Carnahan is on board as executive producer.

Meanwhile, Hunt will next be seen opposite Samantha Morton in the Steven Bernstein-directed 'Decoding Annie Parker', which is based on a true story about the discovery of the breast cancer gene.