The story of music's "Man In Black" is coming to the movies.

James Mangold, the writer-director behind "Cop Land" and the current Winona Ryder-Angelina Jolie flick "Girl, Interrupted," has signed a deal to helm and co-write a movie based on the life of singer-songwriter Johnny Cash.

"Variety" reports that Mangold will team with Gill Dennis on the screenplay for "Cash," which will be produced by James Keach and Cathy Konrad for Columbia Pictures.

Aside from being one of the most prolific and important country music stars in the last 100 years, Cash has also influenced such rock and roll musicians as Bob Dylan (appearing on Dylan's 1969 LP, "Nashville Skyline"), John Fogerty, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, Social Distortion's Mike Ness, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, and Wilco, to name a few.

Cash signed to Rick Rubin's American Recordings label in the early '90s and eventually released a pair of albums, 1994's "American Recordings" and 1996's "Unchained," performing songs by Chris Cornell, Glenn Danzig, and Beck, among others.

In 1999, a host of contemporary artists, including Dave Matthews, Wyclef Jean, U2, and Sheryl Crow joined Springsteen, Dylan, and Willie Nelson in performing at a tribute concert in Cash's honor (see "Springsteen, Wyclef, U2, Matthews, More Come Out For Cash").

Later that year, the 67-year-old Cash was hospitalized in Tennessee for two weeks after being diagnosed with pneumonia. After being listed in serious condition, he managed to make a full recovery and was subsequently released from the hospital in December.

Cash suffers from a degenerative nerve disease known as Shy-Drager Syndrome, a disorder that can cause blackouts, tremors, and muscle stiffness. The disease also makes him more susceptible to contracting pneumonia, for which he was hospitalized twice in 1998 (see "Johnny Cash Released From Hospital").