Warner Bros. has set TV director Bob Berlinger ("Arrested Development", "Gilmore Girls") to helm "Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning," a $5 million prequel that's the highest profile live-action direct-to-vid spinoff yet reports Variety.

Berlinger began lensing "Dukes 2" on Monday with Willie Nelson returning as Uncle Jesse. "Deal or No Deal" thesp April Scott steps into the Daisy Duke role played by Jessica Simpson in last summer's theatrical adaptation.

Rising hunks Jonathan Bennett ("Mean Girls", "Cheaper by the Dozen 2") and Randy Wayne step into the famously too tight jeans of Bo and Luke Duke respectively, the former likely to give even John Schneider a run for his money it seems.

Chris McDonald will play Boss Hogg, the role Burt Reynolds portrayed in the original, and Sherilyn Fenn has been cast as Lulu Hogg.

In the prequel, cousins Bo and Luke Duke are arrested and paroled under the care of their Uncle Jesse when they try to foil Boss Hogg's plans to foreclose on their uncle's farm. Vid is expected to be released sometime next year.