Actress SHAILENE WOODLEY is set to bring author JOHN GREEN's bestselling novel THE FAULT IN OUR STARS to life on the big screen after landing the coveted lead role.

The Descendants star has been confirmed to lead the cast as a teenage cancer sufferer who falls for a fellow patient at a support group, and director Josh Boone reveals the 21 year old was the clear frontrunner after auditioning for the romantic drama.

He tells Entertainment Weekly, "During our exhaustive search to find Hazel Grace Lancaster, I saw some stunning auditions by today's finest young actresses.

"Over 250 girls read for the part, but it wasn't until Shailene stepped in front of the camera that I truly saw Hazel for the first time. It was like lightning striking. I can't wait for the rest of the world to see what I have."

The script will be adapted for the film by (500) Days of Summer writers Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, and will be produced by Wyck Godfrey, who worked on the Twilight film franchise.

A release date for the Fox studio project has yet to be set.

It's shaping up to be a great career year for Woodley - she's currently shooting the sequel for The Amazing Spider-Man, in which she'll portray Mary Jane Watson, and she has also landed the coveted lead in the adaptation of Veronica Roth's hit futuristic novel Divergent.