A new David Bowie film has cast its lead actor

1 February 2019, 09:59 | Updated: 6 October 2023, 10:55

David Bowie will be the subject of a new music biopic, and a leading man has been found to play him.

Johnny Flynn will play David Bowie in Stardust, an upcoming film about the late rock legend, according to Deadline.

Flynn is a successful singer-songwriter and actor, who most recently starred on the West End in True West opposite Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington.

The South African-born British actor is also the lead singer of his band The Sussex Wit, and starred in the Channel 4 and Netflix sitcom Lovesick. He also composed and sung the theme tune to the comedy drama Detectorists.

Stardust will follow Bowie’s first trip to America in the early 1970s, and the creation of his Ziggy Stardust persona.

Also joining the cast are Marc Maron as Bowie's publicist and Jena Malone as Bowie's first wife Angie.

The soundtrack for the film will include many Bowie performances, and will start filming this summer.

The movie is the latest in a run of biopics about famous musicians, following last year's Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody and the upcoming Elton John film Rocketman.

There also films in the works about Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield.

David Bowie was recently voted the greatest entertainer of the 20th century, while lost footage of his first ever TV performance as Ziggy Stardust was unearthed.