Janis Joplin biopic

Photo Credit: Shailene Woodley by LuchoCR / CC by 4.0

Shailene Woodley confirms she will be singing in character as Janis Joplin for the musical biopic in which she stars.

It’s going to be a big year for musical biopics with Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Yacht Rock. And now, actress Shailene Woodley has confirmed another detail in the Janis Joplin film in which she will star as the legendary singer: she will be singing in character, as well. The project was announced earlier this year, with Woodley starring and producing.

During her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Woodley explained how the project has been in the works for nearly a decade. “We’ve been working on it for seven years now, and [Joplin] is such a groovy chick, man. She really brought the light to this planet in a singular way, and it has been so much fun to dive into her story.”

Woodley revealed the film will include real singing from the actors involved. “We’re going to sing everything. I’m going to sing,” she said, explaining that doing so was actually really daunting at first. “I was like, ‘I don’t know how to sing anything,’” but music producer Linda Perry helped her unlock her singing potential for the role.

“[Perry] is a legend. She’s incredible,” said Woodley. “She really pushed me to figure out how to find my own voice. Because I was like, ‘I can’t sing like Janis.’ And she put me in a lot of uncomfortable situations where she’s like, ‘Sing. Show up here on this date,’ to a massive empty warehouse with a full band. She’s like, ‘Have fun. Sing some songs.’”

The biopic, which was announced in September, received a $2.5 million tax credit from the California Film Commission. Production is expected to take place over 30 days and cost around $10 million in “qualified expenditures.”