Lenny Kravitz will play Marvin Gaye in the Julian Temple-helmed biopic on the muso, says Deadline.

The Gaye project is scheduled to start filming next year and will focus on the time Gaye spent in London in the early 1980s, when the soul singer attempted to get his addictions under control and career back on track with the help of British music promoter Freddy Cousaert. Gaye was shot by his father and died in Los Angeles on April 1, 1984.

Though Kravitz has started to pop up in more-and-more movies in recent times, including “The Hunger Games” and “Precious”, this will be the first leading role for the singer. Temple helmed the ’80s cult classic “Absolute Beginners” starring David Bowie.