According to Variety, Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey has signed on for Paramount Pictures' Freedom Writers and is in negotiations to join the cast of the Walt Disney Co. pic Enchanted.

In the Richard LaGravenese-directed Writers, Dempsey will play the husband of Hilary Swank's character in the story of a young teacher who inspires her class of at-risk students to pursue education beyond high school. Dempsey, who worked with Swank on HBO's "Iron Jawed Angels," will lense the role concurrently with his part on the hit ABC one-hour "Grey's Anatomy."

Then, if scheduling conflicts can be worked out, he will take a role alongside Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden and Idina Menzel in the Kevin Lima-directed Enchanted for Disney. He'd play a hard-working single father who meets Adams' character, who is banished by an evil queen from the animated world of Andalasia to present-day, live-action New York City.

Dempsey last starred on the bigscreen opposite Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama.