The London-born star, 51 – who picked up his latest Academy Award for his performance in There Will Be Blood – is, according to industry insiders, to take the lead role in a movie version of the musical Nine.

Set in early Sixties Venice, Daniel will play film director Guido Contini, who is facing a midlife crisis due to his string of relationships with various women.

Daniel, who is famous for his unusually intense approach to roles, has been lined up after Spanish actor Javier Bardem pulled out.

He will join a star-studded cast which already includes Nicole Kidman, Dame Judi Dench and Sophia Loren, with filming due to begin this autumn.

“Daniel’s obviously achieved just about everything anyone could hope for in the business but starring in a musical film will be a new experience for him,” says a well-placed movie source.

“Nobody is quite sure how good his singing voice is. However, as with all of his parts in the past, everybody connected with the film knows he’ll go at it 100 per cent.”

Knowing Dan’s penchant for immersing himself in his roles via method acting, expect him to test out his tonsils on The X Factor sometime soon.