Misty Copeland cast in Disney's The Nutcracker

Ballerina Misty Copeland will make her feature film debut in the live-action movie adaptation of classic ballet The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms will follow a girl named Clara, who receives a doll in the form of a nutcracker from her godfather for Christmas and becomes part of a fantastic world.

The film, penned by screenwriter Ashleigh Powell, will be based on E.T.A. Hoffman's original 19th century story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which was turned into a ballet scored by Tchaikovsky. It will be directed by Lasse Hallstrom.

Misty will portray the lead ballerina role in the movie's sole dance sequence, according to Deadline.com.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of this amazing project with Disney and the wonderful Lasse Hallstrom," she writes on Instagram.com.

The Disney production is the latest version of The Nutcracker set for the big screen after previous projects at Universal and New Line studios stalled, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Other casting details and a release date have yet to be announced.

This will be the first major movie role for Misty, who made history last year (15) by becoming the American Ballet Theater's first female African-American principal.

She is currently developing a semi-autobiographical TV drama about the ballet company with writer Tracy Oliver. She will reportedly produce the series, which is centered on a "young, hip, diverse group of aspiring dancers as they fiercely compete for places in the American Ballet Theater company".

The 33-year-old has also expanded her resume beyond ballet by making her Broadway debut in the musical On The Town in August (15).