It's no easy task casting the role of an iconic star for a biopic, but we think this choice might be pretty inspired. We learned last week that a biopic on the life of comedic actor John Belushi is in the works, with Emile Hirsch, Joaquin Phoenix and 'Girls' star Adam Driver's names being tossed around. And today we've gotten confirmation that Hirsch has been chosen to take the lead in the upcoming unnamed biopic from writer and director Steven Conrad.

THR reports that Hirsch, who recently starred in David Gordon Green's indie dramedy 'Prince Avalanche,' has signed on to play John Belushi in a new biopic from 'Harry Potter' writer Steve Conrad. While someone like Joaquin Phoenix would have been interesting to see in the part of the former 'SNL' star and definitely would have lent the project some prestigious heft, Hirsch is an often underrated performer who definitely has the chops to skew dark and dramatic when required.

And the story of John Belushi is definitely pretty dark and dramatic. The comedic actor and star of films like 'Animal House' struggled with drug addiction and tragically passed away in 1982 at the age of 33. A previous biopic on his life, titled 'Wired,' was released in 1989, and starred Michael Chiklis as Belushi.

Hirsch, who also recently appeared in 'Killer Joe' and 'Into the Wild,' can be seen next in the upcoming film 'Lone Survivor.'

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