Christopher Walken has been signed up to star in Clint Eastwood's film version of hit musical Jersey Boys, it has been reported by the Daily Mall.

The 70-year-old actor has been cast as mobster Angelo 'Gyp' DeCarlo in the show, mentoring four young singers as they try to make it in music while avoiding a life of organized crime.

The film is based on the Broadway and West End show, which tells the tale of the stars as they pursue their dreams and form the 1960s supergroup, The Four Seasons.

While Walken is most well-known for his menacing roles in movies such as The Deer Hunter and Annie Hall, he is actually a trained dancer who previously starred in West Side Story before making a name for himself as an actor.

News of the Walken's casting comes after director Eastwood revealed he wasn't going to choose A-list names to play the singers but rather select them from the various casts performing the show.

Deadline reported that Eastwood has already chosen Broadway stars Vincent Piazza, John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, and Michael Lomenda for the lead roles.

However, as the Daily Mail revealed earlier this week, Ryan Molloy, who stars as Frankie Valli in the London stage show, is also said to have been having 'secret talks' regarding a possible involvement in the project.

The original Valli hand-picked Ryan for the West End show and says he is the best 'Frankie' he has seen.