Julia Roberts has signed up for the eagerly awaited film adaptation of award-winning play The Normal Heart.

The Oscar-winning actress will play a wheelchair-bound doctor in the movie, which is about the rise of HIV/Aids in New York's gay community in the 1980s, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

30 Rock star Alec Baldwin, Chuck actor Matt Bomer and Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons - who recently appeared in the Broadway revival of the play - have also joined the cast of the autobiographical drama, which was penned by Larry Kramer.

It was previously announced that Mark Ruffalo, who bagged an Oscar nomination for his performance in The Kids Are All Right in 2010, is on board.

Glee creator Ryan Murphy will direct, and the film will be produced by Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment.

The play was first staged in 1985 and there have been several revivals since then. It scored a Tony for best revival last year.