Zooey Deschanel has snagged the part of Janis Joplin in an upcoming biopic, beating tabloid favorites Linsday Lohan and Britney Spears, and Woody Allen muse Scarlett Johansson for the part. Deschanel, who has had major roles in films like Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, as well as The Good Girl and Elf, will portray the late icon in director Penelope Spheeris' The Gospel According to Janis, which starts filming in Philadelphia in November. While Pink was the initial first choice of director Spheeris', the singer pulled out, claiming the film's producers made the casting process "some circus pop contest -- who's the 'it' girl who wants to play Janis," according to IMDb.com.

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On the Web: The Gospel According to Janis on imdb.com