Actress Zooey Deschanel's dreams of playing rock legend Janis Joplin on the big screen have been dashed - the project has been shelved.

The Yes Man star, who is tasting TV success as the leading lady in hit new comedy New Girl, has revealed The Gospel According to Janis is no longer in development - and she's upset because she has spent years preparing for the Penelope Spheeris film.

Deschanel tells The Hollywood Reporter, "I've been working on her scratchy voice with a vocal coach for three years and now we've found out it just isn't going to happen. That's a lot of time to spend prepping for a movie."

P!nk and Amy Adams are also attached to Joplin biopics, but neither of those films are currently in development.