After “Veronica Mars,” “Heroes,” “Gossip Girl” and “Reefer Madness: The Musical,” it’s getting to the point where the concept of not loving Kristen Bell seems downright un-American. If that’s the case, consider the lead hunk from “Transformers” as the new Hollywood equivalent of Lou Dobbs.

“Josh Duhamel is the male lead,” Bell told us recently, revealing that Fergie’s boy toy would be romancing her next month on the set of her first starring movie. “It’s a really, really sweet romantic comedy.”

With the buzz-heavy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in theaters soon, Bell is one of the most in-demand young actresses in town; but will the Duhamel flick make her the new Amy Adams?

“I’m about to go to New York and Rome for 12 weeks to shoot this big Disney movie called ‘When in Rome,’ ” she explained. “It is, ideally, going to be next year’s ‘Enchanted,’ their big female-driven romantic comedy. I’m really excited about it. It’ll be the first time I’ve carried a movie this big on my shoulders.”

Along with having Duhamel and “a great, great cast [of] people who are negotiating now,” Bell said, the movie will tell a high-concept story set in one of the world’s most magical cities.

“It’s about a slightly cynical girl who has no interest in finding love and works as a curator at the Guggenheim in New York City. Her sister gets married in Rome and she, after one glass of wine and meeting a groomsman (Duhamel) she has a chemistry spark with, says, ‘You know what? I’m just going to go for it and ask him out.’ Then there’s that movie mystery where he seems to be kissing someone else but really isn’t, and while she’s wallowing she grabs these seven coins out of the [Trevi] Fountain in Rome, and unintentionally puts them in her pocket.”

In real life, Rome’s largest fountain is 250 years old, collects approximately $4,700 a day, and supposedly ensures marriage to anyone who throws coins into it. “Rome” will play off that local legend.

“Throughout the course of the movie, those seven people who threw [those coins] in there, wishing for various things, start stalking [my character] and fall in love with her,” laughed Bell, who’ll be making her first trip to Rome for the shoot. “There is a fantasy and magical element to it, and she doesn’t understand why all these people keep showing up with flowers. They’re outside her door, they’re starting to stalk her, and she doesn’t get it. Finally, when the male lead starts to pursue her, she feels as though it’s just because of this curse.”

“It’s by Mark Steven Johnson, who wrote and directed it. He did ‘Grumpy Old Men,’ ‘Simon Birch’ and ‘Ghost Rider,’ ” Bell said excitedly about the film, which will likely hit theaters in 2009. “I’m so excited to be working with Mark Steven Johnson, I can’t even tell you. I respect his body of work so much.”