Shailene Woodley is set to play Janis Joplin in an upcoming film based on the late singer's life.
In addition to starring in the lead role, Woodley has also signed on to produce the film, which according to Variety, will be shot over 30 days and received $2.5 million in funding from the California Film Commission.
In a statement, Woodley explained the importance of the state to the film and Joplin's life, saying, “California meant so much to Janis Joplin — from the stoops of San Francisco to the wooden walls of Sunset Sound, the state became the stage upon which she explored not just the world of music, but the world of her vibrant humanity."
Joplin has long been the subject of a big screen biopic, the rights of which have exchanged many different hands. Both Zooey Deschanel and P!nk were attached to a project titled The Gospel According to Janis in the early 2000s, while Amy Adams was set to play Joplin in Janis: Get It While You Can, which was officially cancelled by director Jean-Marc Vallée in 2017.
Before all of that, there was the failed Piece of My Heart, which bounced from Melissa Etheridge to Brittany Murphy to Renée Zellweger, with Jonathan Demme looking to direct.
Of course, a Joplin biopic titled Pearl was originally planned with Bette Midler as the star back in 1979. However, that film became The Rose, a fictionalized account of her story after the rights to use her music were denied by Joplin's family.