The Ghost Whisperer DVD Box set actress is to play the lead role in the film, tentatively titled The List, says The Hollywood Reporter.
The 31-year-old will portray a former beauty queen who is forced to support her family after her husband is injured. She takes a job at a shady massage parlour where the clients apparently expect her to perform sexual acts.
Hewitt is executive producing the project along with Dannielle Thomas, Michael Jaffe and Howard Braunstein.
Production starts in the spring in Vancouver. The movie will premiere later this year on Lifetime.