Sean Durkin to Direct Biopic JOPLIN; Nina Arianda to Star

It looks like all the pieces are finally in place: the long-developing music biopic of famed rock icon Janis Joplin has picked up Tony award-winning star Nina Arianda and Martha Marcy May Marlene director Sean Durkin. Many actresses have almost played the singer over 12 years including Amy Adams, Pink, Zooey Deschanel, and Lilli Taylor to Renee Zellweger, but Tony award winner for Best Actress in a play for her work in ‘Venus in Fur,' Arianda has signed on to play the legendary soul singer. Producer Peter Newman said of Arianda's casting:

I've never in my life seen an actress walk on a stage and convey the duality of vulnerability with overheated sexuality, which is what Janis was all about.

Rising stage star Arianda will perform Joplin's songs herself in the low-budget movie (under $20 million), which focuses on the last six months of the artist's life, before she died of a heroin overdose at the age of 27 and have flashbacks to earlier points in her life. Durkin, who wins Best Director in the US Dramatic Competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for Martha Marcy May Marlene is certainly an intriguing choice to take the helm. He also recently signed on to direct a TV series adaptation of The Exorcist. Newman, who also has the rights to the songs and arrangements of Joplin, says that the plan is to start production at the start of next year. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yybz0TcIgDk[/youtube] Source: Deadline