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Does anyone else get the feeling that Elizabeth Banks is becoming the next Hollywood “It” girl? It began with her role in The 40-Year Old Virgin and has continued on to a lead role in Kevin Smith’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and it will ultimately continue with her role as Laura Bush in Oliver Stone’s W, a biopic of current President George W. Bush.

I say “It” girl because Banks seems to be showing up in just about everything. And what’s interesting is that this is different from when Cameron Diaz became the “It” girl after There’s Something About Mary. All Diaz did was make a few Charlie’s Angels movies, a few cheesy romcoms and three Shrek movies. Banks seems to want to spread the love with her talent, taking on roles ranging from the utterly dumb (alongside Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave) to the now somewhat controversial (the Laura Bush thing, in case you haven’t noticed). I say good for her, she is a talented actress whose range is yet to be realized and this role could be one that propels her to the next level, beyond playing second fiddle to Seth Rogen. That is, it can if Oliver Stone’s film plays it right, with Laura Bush as a very strong character — I mean come on people, we all know that it is a combination of Laura Bush and Dick Cheney who run this country anyway, right?

I’m interested to hear what everyone else thinks on this one. Please leave your reaction to Banks as Bush in the comment section below. W is tentatively set for a 2009 release. The only other confirmed cast is No Country for Old Men and The Goonies (oh yeah, Goonies, baby!) Josh Brolin as George W. Bush.