The newspaper says Close has agreed to take the role despite Boyle's preference for her compatriot Elaine C Smith, best known for playing Rab C Nesbitt's long-suffering wife in the BBC sitcom that shares his name.
A source told the paper's Bizarre column: 'The film is full steam ahead now the leading role is sorted. It was always going to be a tricky one to cast. [Susan Boyle's] incredible story is so well-known across the planet that the film is bound to go down a storm."