Studio executives have tapped screenwriters Karen MCCullah and Kirsten Smith to pen the script. The duo has previously found success with hit films such as Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You and She's the Man.

The original Sister Act film, which featured Goldberg as a Las Vegas lounge singer who goes into the witness protection programme under the guise of a nun at a church, also starred Dame Maggie Smith and Kathy Najimy.

The movie grossed more than $230 million (£143.7 million) at the global box office, and spawned a sequel in 1993, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. In 2011, the Sister Act musical debuted on Broadway, and earned five Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical.