"42" star Chadwick Boseman to play James Brown

Chadwick Boseman is no stranger to biopics.

Earlier this year, he portrayed baseball great Jackie Robinson in "42" and now he's set to play James Brownin an upcoming film about the "Godfather of Soul," according to Variety.

The 31-year-old actor has been cast as the lead in the biopic chronicling Brown's meteoric rise, from his poverty-stricken childhood in Georgia to becoming one of the founders of funk in the 1960s and 70s. Brown died in 2006 at 73.

Mick Jaggerand Brian Grazer are also on board as producers.

Prior to starring in "42," Boseman had appeared mostly on TV, with guest roles on "Fringe," "Justified" and "Cold Case" in addition to a reccurring stint on "Persons Unknown." Boseman is also a playwright and director of several short films.

It is not yet known if Boseman will be singing himself or lip-synching to Brown's tracks in the film.

The as-yet-untitled biopic will be directed by "The Help" filmmaker Tate Taylor. It was announced on Monday that the film will be shot in Mississippi, Taylor's home state.

"Every frame will be shot in Mississippi. We're even doing Paris, France, in Mississippi. ... Vietnam, as well, in Mississippi," Taylor said at the Mississippi Coliseum on Monday in Jackson, where some scenes will be shot.

Filming on the project is expected to begin this fall.