Variety reports that Knowles recently met with screenwriter/director Bill Condon and producer Laurence Mark to test for a role in the upcoming DreamWorks film. Although the industry paper does not mention which role Beyonce would play, it is likely she would be cast as Deena Jones, the character loosely based on Diana Ross. Condon, who provided the script for the Oscar-winning "Chicago" film, hopes to begin shooting "Dreamgirls" in Los Angeles in the fall. He will also supply the script for this movie musical, though Tom Eyen's book and Henry Krieger's music will be retained. Beyonce's film credits include "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and "The Fighting Temptations," and she will be seen in the upcoming remake of "The Pink Panther." The singer-actress continues to tour with Destiny's Child.

Dreamgirls, which concerns the rise of a Supremes-like singing group amid a flurry of infighting, debuted at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre on Dec. 9, 1982, playing 1,521 performances before closing Aug. 11, 1985. The original cast featured Obba Babatundé, Cleavant Derricks, Loretta Devine, Ben Harney, Jennifer Holliday, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Deborah Burrell. The show lost the Tony for Best Musical to Maury Yeston’s Nine. A 1987 revival at the Ambassador Theatre starred Lillias White, Alisa Gyse, Kevyn Morrow, Weyman Thompson and Arnetia Walker.

Dreamgirls song titles include "One Night Only," "I Am Changing," "When I First Saw You," "I'm Somebody," "Family" and Effie's first-act show stopper, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going."