Shailene Woodley to portray Janis Joplin in upcoming biopic

A highly anticipated biopic about Janis Joplin's life is moving forward, with actress Shailene Woodley cast to portray the legendary rock singer.

It was announced on Tuesday (September 10) that the actress, who is also producing the film alongside Tower Hill Entertainment, has secured US $2.49 million in funding from the California Film Commission to support the project.

In a statement, Woodley  expressed to The Hollywood Reporter, "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."

"I have a feeling Janis would be smiling ear to ear, zipping down the PCH in her psychedelic Porsche knowing her story is bringing opportunities and funding to the city and people that held so much significance to her," she added.

"Thank you to the California Film Commission's Film & Television Tax Credit Program — myself and the other producers on this project believe California is the only place to film a slice of Janis' life with authenticity and truth — and we are so grateful to have received the green light to do so!" the "Big Little Lies" star stressed.

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Janis Joplin passed away in 1970 at the age of 27, and numerous attempts have been made to create a biopic about the iconic singer. Over the years, several actresses, including Amy Adams, Zooey Deschanel, Pink, and Melissa Etheridge, were linked to projects that ultimately never made it to production.

The California Film Commission has granted $51.6 million in tax credits to 19 different projects for filming within the state. This effort also helped prevent Universal Content Productions' "Suits LA" series from relocating to a competing location outside Los Angeles.

Additional projects eligible for local tax credits include "Community – The Movie", a reboot executive produced by Dan Harmon and Andrew Guest, which brings together the original cast for this film adaptation, as well as an untitled project from Screen Gems.