Jack Lowden, the star of BBC's War and Peace, is to play Morrissey in a new biopic of the man who fronted The Smiths – and who has gone on to become one of the most important solo artists of the past twenty years.

The film – its planned title is Steven in reference to the artist’s full name, Steven Patrick Morrissey – will tell the story of Morrissey's teenage years, before the formation of his legendary band, The Smiths. According to reports, principal photography is due to begin next month. The film has been described as a “love letter” to the ex-Smiths frontman and to the “dark satanic mills of Manchester."

Producer Orian Williams, who was behind the Ian Curtis biopic Control, said that Steven will look inside the young mind of Steven Patrick Morrissey. “It'll capture a glimpse of what he observed and channelled,” he added, "in order to give us the future music of his thoughts, not only with The Smiths but his solo work as well."

The film will be directed by Mark Gill, who was Oscar and BAFTA-nominated for his short film The Voorman Problem. This will be Gill's first feature film. The director has also co-written the script with William Thacker, who also worked with him on the short film, Full Time.

Jack Lowden, who was born in England and reared in Scotland, won an Olivier Award for his performance in the 2013 play Ghost. He also starred as Eric Liddell in the 2012 stage adaptation of Chariots of Fire. Other cinematic credits include the superb Belfast thriller '71 and Christopher Nolan's World War II adventure Dunkirk, which is scheduled for release shortly.

Morrissey described his early years in his acclaimed memoir Biography. His Irish background has always been hugely important to the singer. Morrissey’s father, Peter Morrissey, was reared in Fumbally Lane, off Clanbrassil Street in Dublin, before moving to Crumlin in the 1950s – and thence onwards to Manchester, where Steven Patrick was born in 1959.

Morrissey was recently spotted pulling pints in Thomas House – a rock’n’roll and rockabilly mecca on Thomas Street in The Liberties, which is a favourite hang-out for Hot Pressers.