Actress Zooey "Elf" Deschanel will play singer 'Janis Joplin' for director Penelope "Suburbia" Spheeris, in the upcoming dramatic bio-pic "The Gospel According to Janis".
Production starts November 13 in Philadelphia, Pa., from a screenplay by Spheeris and David Dalton.
During the 1960's, Dalton accompanied Joplin on tour, assigned by Rolling Stone magazine to profile the late singer.
Producers of "The Gospel According to Janis" are Peter "The Squid and the Whale" Newman, Greg Johnson, William Haney and Tim Disney.
Deschanel will reportedly do all her own singing as Joplin for the film.
Although she toured solo before her death in 1969, Janis "Pearl" Joplin received early fame during the 1960's, fronting the psychedelic San Francisco band Big Brother and the Holding Company.
