Toronto, Sep 8 (IANS): A film tracing the life of late Hollywood icon Steve McQueen is in the works.

Wonderfilm Media has acquired the rights of Marshall Terrill's 2010 biography "Steve McQueen: The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon", and will be adapting it into a feature film, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The book follows the actor's life from humble beginnings in the Midwest to the pinnacle of Hollywood and to his untimely death at the age of 50 in Mexico.

Known as Hollywood's "King of Cool", McQueen rose to fame in 1960s and 1970s after the success of "The Magnificent Seven", "The Great Escape", "The Sand Pebbles", "The Thomas Crown Affair", "Bullitt", "The Getaway", "Papillon" and "The Towering Inferno".

Wonderfilm's Jeff Bowler, Bret Saxon and Dan Grodnik will produce the film, with Terrill on board as an executive producer and creative consultant.

The biopic will also include the intersection between McQueen and the mass murderer Charles Manson. According to Terrill's book, Manson pitched a screenplay to McQueen that was rejected.

"When I found out from Marshal's incredibly researched and thorough book that McQueen was supposed to be at the Sharon Tate house the night of the Manson murders, I was instantly engaged in that story thread," said Bowler.

"I think w''ve found a fascinating way into the story of an incredible legend," Bowler added.