Tom Hiddleston, the actor who played the malevolent Loki in the "Avengers" and "Thor" movies, will play Hank Williams in an upcoming biopic about the country star.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the project, thus far titled "I Saw The Light," will be able to draw from Williams' entire catalog of classic hits after producers secured the rights from Sony. The picture itself will focus on Williams' meteoric rise to fame before dying of heart failure in 1953 at the age of 29.
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Hit singles like "Your Cheatin' Heart," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," and "Hey Good Lookin'," made Williams a star, and are expected to be performed.
Marc Abraham — who directed "Flash Of Genius" starring Greg Kinnear, as well as "Spy Game," "Dawn Of The Dead," and "Children Of Men" — is helming the project. He also wrote the script, which is based on Colin Escott's biography of Williams.
The British actor who will portray Williams has starred in a variety of roles, including those seen in "Midnight In Paris" and "War Horse," and tweeted a preview snapshot of his upcoming role on Thursday.
The Washington Post reported that some took issue with the choice of a British actor, and said the role should have been given to an American.
"As high as I am on Tom Hiddleston, the idea of him playing all-American country music icon Hank Williams gives me pause,"
said critic Anne Thompson. "Hank Williams will be an exciting challenge for him. It just feels ... wrong."
Hiddleston is not the first British actor to star as an American, however. The Post highlights Hugh Laurie in "House" as Gregory House, Ed Westwick as Chuck Bass on "Gossip Girl," Anna Friel in "Pushing Daisies," and Martin Freeman as Lester Nygaard in "Fargo."
Filming is set to begin in Louisiana this coming October.
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