Shailene Woodley to Star in Janis Joplin Biopic

Shailene Woodley is set to star in a biopic of Janis Joplin, which will receive $2.5 million in funding from the California Film Commission.

Numerous attempts have been made over the years to capture the rock star’s life on film, but none have come to fruition. Woodley is acting and producing the film, which will shoot over 30 days and spend about $10 million in “qualified expenditures.”

“California meant so much to Janis Joplin — from the stoops of San Francisco to the wooden walls of Sunset Sound, the state became the stage upon which she explored not just the world of music, but the world of her vibrant humanity,” Woodley said in a release on Tuesday.

The commission also announced that it has awarded $12 million to get “Suits L.A.” to film in L.A. NBC’s “Suits” spinoff series shot its pilot in Vancouver, home of one of the world’s most generous film tax incentives.

California lured the show to L.A. with tax credits from its $150 million program geared at incentivizing the construction of more soundstages. The show is projected to generate 175 crew jobs over 96 days of filming.

Another NBC show, “Quantum Leap,” is the only other show to receive funding so far from the soundstage program, which passed into law in 2021. That show, which was canceled after two seasons, received $24 million, according to the commission. Of the original $150 million allocation, $114 million remains.

“Suits,” the original series, ran for years on USA Network but enjoyed a surge in popularity when it appeared on Netflix and Peacock in 2023. The original was shot in Toronto, doubling for New York.

Vancouver was home to more than 100 TV shows last year, according to data from Creative BC. Canadian and international producers were awarded about $450 million in tax credits for filming in British Columbia last year.

The California Film Commission has set aside $39.6 million for 18 films in the latest round of allocations, including $3.3 million for “Community — The Movie,” the long-awaited film version of the TV show, which is slated for Peacock.

Also on the list is $2.5 million for “Killing Gawker,” an independent film from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s company about the legal battle between Hulk Hogan and the former website.

“Lullaby,” a Disney feature film, will get $3.5 million.

Here is the full list:

Soundstage
“Suits,” Universal Content Productions, $12 million

Studio Films:
“Community – The Movie,” Sony Pictures Television, $3.3 million
“Lullaby,” Disney, $3.5 million
“Untitled Screen Gems Project,” Screen Gems, $6.4 million

Independent Films:
“A Bright and Guilty Place,” $1.3 million
“Disco’s Out… Murder’s In!,” $1.9 million
“Experiencers,” $1.2 million
“Friends & Lovers,” $694,000
“In Memoriam,” $1.1 million
“Janis Joplin,” $2.5 million
“Killing Gawker,” $2.5 million
“Mango,” $710,000
“MMX Period Drama,” $2.5 million
“Spoiler!” $2.5 million
“Streetwise,” $1.2 million
“Supercrip,” $1.5 million
“TBTN,” $2.5 million
“The Black Belt,” $1.8 million
“The New Man,” $2.5 million