New Line Cinema has optioned the rights to ballet dancer Misty Copeland's memoir Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina for a feature adaptation.

Stephanie Allain and Lenore Kletter are writing the screenplay adaptation of the best-selling memoir, which chronicles Misty Copeland's rise to stardom after overcoming a troubled childhood. She started ballet at 13, considered a "late bloomer," practicing at her local Boys and Girls Club while living in a welfare motel with her mother and siblings. She caught on so fast that she began taking lessons at a dance school, while living with a sponsor, which sparked a custody battle between her mother and the host family.

She went on to become only the second African-American female soloist to perform with the American Ballet Theatre. Misty Copeland has also performed with Prince at Madison Square Garden, and she recently served as a guest judge on Fox's reality series So You Think You Can Dance, while serving on President Barack Obama's fitness council. She will make history again next month when she becomes the first African-American to perform as the lead in Swan Lake.

Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot are producing through their Offspring Entertainment company, alongside Philip Sandhaus. The adaptation will center on Misty Copeland's life from the age of 13 to her late teens, with the filmmakers currently seeking an actress with a dancing background to play the lead. There will also be key roles for Misty's mother and mentor. No production schedule was given.