Tim Federle will direct 'Sister Act 3'.

Tim Federle

Tim Federle

The 41-year-old filmmaker has been tapped to helm the new film in the Disney comedy franchise that will see Whoopi Goldberg reprise the role of Deloris Van Cartier, the nightclub singer turned nun.

Tyler Perry and Tom Leonardis are serving as producers on the new flick.

The original 1992 movie followed Deloris, a nightclub singer who is forced to go into hiding as a nun in a convent. She inadvertently ends up turning the convent choir into a soulful chorus with a Motown repertoire – but the sudden popularity of the choir threatens to jeopardise her identity.

The film proved to be a huge hit and spawned a sequel, 'Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, the following year as well as a Broadway musical.

Details for the new picture are unclear at this time.

Whoopi had previously hinted that she and film bosses were "working diligently" on a new movie.

The 65-year-old actress said: "For a long time, they kept saying no one wanted to see it. And then quite recently, it turns out, that that may not be true. People may want to see it.

"So we're working diligently to try to figure out how to get the gang together and come back."

Whoopi, who featured in the original cast alongside Dame Maggie Smith and Kathy Najimy, also hinted that the new film will be "fun".

She explained: "It's fun and it feels good. And you know, nobody's mad. It's just listen – bad singing, great singing, OK singing and then nuns. What's better than that?"

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