Chadwick Boseman to play James Brown

The forthcoming James Brown biopic has found its Godfather of Soul.

Variety reports that Chadwick Boseman is to take on the role of the legendary singer in the movie, having impressed US audiences playing another legend – pioneering baseball player Jackie Robinson in the recent biopic '42'.

Producer Brian Grazer – the man behind films like 'Frost/Nixon' and 'A Beautiful Mind' has been developing the film for over a decade.

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It now has Tate Taylor, who helmed 'The Help', in the director's chair and Mick Jagger lined up as a producer, giving the film some added heft from the world of music.

According to reports, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Nelsan Ellis, who also starred in 'The Help', are circling supporting roles.

With much of the filming said to be taking place in Mississippi, the film will take on much of the soul star's life, beginning with his poverty-stricken upbringing in Georgia.

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At 31, Boseman is well-placed to play Brown in his all-conquering prime, while its thought his struggle later in life with drug use and repeated arrests for domestic violence will also feature amid the drama.

Brown died in 2006 aged 73 from heart failure, leaving behind him a legacy of funk and soul standards including 'I Got You (I Feel Good)', 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag' and '(Get Up I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine'.