Shailene Woodley slated to star in Janis Joplin biopic: 'California is the only place to film a slice of Janis's life'
Shailene Woodley is set to star in a new biopic about rocker Janis Joplin funded by the California Film Commission's Film and Television Tax Credit Program. The film is one of 15 independent projects to receive funding from the commission.
"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," Woodley, who is also producing the film, shared in a release from the California Film Commission.
"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."
Woodley added that she and the other producers on the project believe "California is the only place to film a slice of Janis's life with authenticity and truth – and we are so grateful to have received the green light to do so!"
Joplin gained fame as one of the most electrifying performers of her era, thanks to appearances at the Monterey Pop Festival as lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist at Woodstock. She died Oct. 4, 1970, at the age of 27. At the time, she was recording her second solo album, "Pearl," which was released after her death and spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Most recently, Woodley, an Emmy-nominated actor for her role in "Big Little Lies," starred in films including "Ferrari" and "Dumb Money," as well as the Starz series "Three Women."
