Michelle Williams is reportedly in talks to star in the long-awaited biopic of 60s icon Janis Joplin.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film will be directed by Sean Durkin who helmed Martha Marcy May Marlene and Williams is in early negotiations for the role.

Michelle WilliamsMichelle Williams is reportedly in early negotiations to play Janis Joplin

The project is titled Janis and is based on Love, Janis, the book penned by the singer’s sister Laura Joplin.

The book uses letters by Janis to family and friends to tell the singer’s story of sudden fame and alcohol and heroin addiction. Joplin died in 1970 at the age of 27 from a heroin overdose.

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A the time of her death Joplin had released only three albums and enjoyed hits with songs such as ‘Piece of My Heart.’ After her death a fourth album was released featuring single ‘Me and Bobby McGee.’

Hollywood has long been trying to make a Joplin biopic and there is already a rival project in development titled Get It While You Can, starring Amy Adams

However, Get It While You Can is currently stuck in litigation after LKL Productions and Swiss production company Silver Reel sued writer-producer Ron Terry claiming he'd had ‘breached their option agreement for the script’ about Joplin.

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But just last month Adams opened up about her desire to play Joplin, telling Vulture: “When I started reading about her, I realised that she was this beautiful human plagued by things which are so common.

“She had a need to find something. People saw this huge personality, but there was this soulfulness and this screaming child inside of her.”.