Leonardo DiCaprio to play music pioneer Sam Phillips

Leonardo DiCaprio is stepping into the music studio to portray the pioneering rock producer credited with discovering Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash.

The Revenant star is joining forces with Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger to produce a biopic about Sam Phillips, the hugely successful 1950s producer who founded the iconic Sun Studio and Sun Records label in Memphis, Tennessee.

DiCaprio will take on the leading role in the movie, based on author Peter Guralnick's 2014 book, Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'N' Roll, reports Deadline.com.

Guralnick will be among the producers of the project, which will be developed by DiCaprio and his Appian Way Productions partners for Paramount Pictures.

Phillips famously worked with aspiring artists Howlin' Wolf, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash and turned them into superstars, while he also helped to launch Elvis' career in 1954.

In addition, the producer was a big advocate for racial equality and used his influence in the music industry to break down race barriers.