Chadwick Boseman to play James Brown

Actor Chadwick Boseman is set to reprise late musician James Brown in a biopic.

"The Help" director Tate Taylor will helm the as-yet-untitled project, which is being produced by rock legend Mick Jagger's film company, reports contactmusic.com.

The movie has been in the pipeline since over a decade, with actors Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes both being linked to play Brown.

This is not the first biopic that Boseman is part of. He had also essayed the character of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American professional baseball player in the US, in "42".

Brown, often referred to as 'The Godfather of Soul', was a popular recording artist. He gave hits like "Papa's got a brand new bag" and "Get up (I feel like being a) sex machine".

Brown passed away in 2006. He was 73.