Biopic planned

Shailene Woodley plays blues legend Janis Joplin

Shailene Woodley at the Michael Kors show in New York on September 10(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Jamie McCarthy)

The life of legendary rock star Janis Joplin (1943-1970) is to be filmed in California. US actress Shailene Woodley wants to transform herself into the singer and also produce the biopic. 

The California Film Board wants to support the independent project financially. California meant so much to Joplin, who was born in Texas, writes 32-year-old Woodley in a statement.

In the West Coast state, she not only explored the world of music, but also her own vibrant life. She and the other producers felt that California was the only suitable place to film a piece of Joplin's life "with credibility and truth".

The American singer Janis Joplin, USA in the late 1960s(Bild: Roba-Archiv / dpa Picture Alliance)

Powerful blues voice
The singer with the powerful blues voice and explosive stage performance was attracted by the hippie movement in San Francisco in the 1960s.

Her breakthrough came in 1967 with her performance at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival. Songs such as "Mercedes Benz", "Summertime", "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Piece Of My Heart" were among her biggest hits. In 1970, at the age of 27, she died of a drug overdose in a hotel room in Hollywood.

Born in California, Woodley rose to fame in 2011 in the role of a rebellious daughter in the tragicomedy "The Descendants". She went on to star in films such as "Divergent", "Fate is a Lousy Traitor", "Snowden", "The Color of the Horizon" and "Robots".