Jimi Hendrix is to be played by OutKast's André 3000 in a new biopic. Despite a prior dispute with the guitarist's estate, the movie will reportedly begin shooting in Ireland later this month.

To the surprise of many industry observers, All Is By My Side is currently in pre-production, the Irish Film and Television Network reports. André 3000 will spend six weeks at locations in Bray, Dun Laoghaire and Dublin, including the historic John Player Cigarette Factory. The film is to be directed by Three Kings writer John Ridley, who also wrote the screenplay, and deals with Hendrix's breakthrough in 1966, when he was discovered in a New York club by Linda Keith, then girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

Several studios have tried to make Hendrix-related films over the last few years, including a failed project by Paul Greengrass. The Hendrix estate blocked all of these, refusing to license the late musician's songs. Either now they have had a change of heart, or Ridley's film isn't going to use any Hendrix songs.

"Everybody wants to do the movie, but there are so many things that go into a biopic," André told MTV in 2008. "It's kinda like, until you are on set doing it you can't say what's going on."

André 3000, real name André Benjamin, has appeared in a handful of films, including Guy Ritchie's Revolver and the 2006 OutKast musical Idlewild. Earlier this year, the rapper claimed to be working on his first solo album.