Pattinson, Franco want to play Jeff Buckley

Robert Pattinson and James Franco are among the stars eager to play Jeff Buckley in the proposed biopic of the late singer-songwriter.

According to a report in Australia's Courier-Mail newspaper, producers Michelle Sy (Finding Neverland) and Orion Williams (Control) are overseeing the project with Buckley's mother Mary Guibert. Ryane Jeffe has been commissioned to write the movie, which is also attracting interest from Jared Leto and James Marsden.

Guibert revealed that the actor portraying her son, who drowned tragically in 1997, will have to sing and play his own instruments for the role.

"Whoever gets the part will need a lot of self-discipline because they won't be able to fake it," she said. "It's going to take a phenomenal set of skills."

Brad Pitt had previously attempted to make a film about Buckley's life, but the project fell apart when Guibert rejected two script drafts from British writer Emma Forrest.

Buckley experienced a surge in popularity last year when his version of Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' made it to number two on the UK charts at the time of X Factor winner Alexandra Burke's release of the same track.