HARRISBURG -- James Brooks, the director who made such well-known movies as "Terms of Endearment" and "As Good As It Gets'' is heading to the Philadelphia area to shoot a new film, not yet titled.

Rendell administration officials said today that this new film project proves, once again, the economic value of the state's 3-year-old, $75 million film tax credit, which has been under attack by legislative Republicans.

Republicans claim the film tax credit is just a give-away to rich Hollywood producers, but Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell said it's an important element in bringing jobs and new taxes to Pennsylvania.

The Department of Community and Economic Development said the new movie should pump $60 million into the southeastern Pennsylvania economy and provide 250 full-time jobs and 1,200 part-time jobs during its two months of shooting.

The movie was described as a romantic comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd and Owen Wilson.

"This movie is one more testament to the worthiness of Pennsylvania's film tax credit and the movie production industry it has helped to create here,'' said acting DCED Secretary George Cornelius.

Whether the $75 million tax credit remains in the new state budget for fiscal 2009-10 won't be known until the Legislature and Mr. Rendell hammer out the budget, which may take days or weeks. To get the tax credit, at least 60 percent of a movie's budget must be spent in Pennsylvania.