Kate McKinnon is The Lunch Witch

Actress Kate McKinnon is set to bring the bestselling The Lunch Witch books to life in a new comedy.

The Ghostbusters star has been cast in the lead role of Grunhilda for the planned movie adaptation of author Deb Lucke's graphic novels, which first hit retailers last year (15).

McKinnon's Angry Birds co-director Clay Kaytis has been tapped to take charge of the project, about a witch who becomes a school lunch lady after struggling to make a living in the magic business.

The Lunch Witch will mark Kaytis' live-action filmmaking debut after tasting success with another adaptation, Angry Birds, which was inspired by the popular mobile game.

The animated movie also featured the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, and Sean Penn, among others, and although it received mixed reviews from critics, it took flight at the global box office upon its release in May (16), grossing over $349 million (£276.3 million) from a budget of $73 million (£57.8 million).

The Lunch Witch is the latest movie on McKinnon's slate after a stellar 2016, during which she won her first Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her recurring role on hit U.S. sketch show Saturday Night Live.

She has also expanded her presence in Hollywood after starring in the all-female reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise over the summer (16), and she is currently promoting her new comedy film, Office Christmas Party, in which she features alongside Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, Courtney B. Vance, and T.J. Miller.