Zooey Belts It Out for "The Gospel According to Janis"

Actress Zooey Deschanel will play singer Janis Joplin in the bio-pic "The Gospel According to Janis".

The film is targeting a November start.

Deschanel's first name was inspired by the male character in author J.D. Salinger's "Franny and Zooey".

She performed in stage productions before making her first TV appearance in 1998, as 'Elena' in an episode of "Veronica's Closet".

In 1999, she made her feature debut in director Lawrence Kasdan's "Mumford".

Upcoming films include "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" and "Live Free or Die Hard".