Meryl Streep to portray opera legend Maria Callas

Meryl Streep is set to play a renowned opera singer Maria Callas in an upcoming movie.

The Oscar-winning actress, 64, will take on the role of the iconic star in a film adaptation of the play 'Master Class' for the HBO TV network, reported Contactmusic

The Tony Award-winning play was written by Terrence MCNally and opened on Broadway in 1995. In the show, Callas reminisces about her life while teaching a class at the famous Juilliard School of performing arts.

The Graduate Mike Nichols will direct the production, which will begin filming in January (15)

Nichols and Streep have previously worked together on movies like 'Heartburn', 'Silkwood' and 'Postcards from the Edge' as well as HBO mini-series 'Angels in America', which aired in 2003.