Hank Williams has so long been an icon for grumpy old Southern men and a staple at dilapidated dive bars, that I had no idea he died at age 29, suffering from alcohol abuse and any number of bad habits. It's a classic rock star way to go and when you've got personal tragedy and a catalag of hit records, you know what that means: biopic time!
821 Entertainment Group and Strike Entertainment will team up to a produce a film about the life of the country music star. Marc Abraham, who directed the windshield-wiper drama Flash of Genius with Greg Kinnear, will write a screenplay (no word on whether he'll direct). Variety suggests that Universal will get first crack at the film, given their first-look deal with Strike partners Abraham and Eric Newman.
The film will be based on Hank Williams: The Biography by Colin Escott, and the estate has also allowed for use of his most memorable songs. Now the real fun begins: casting! Spout's Christopher Campbell suggested on Twitter that Billy Crudup is a dead ringer, and depending on which photo you Google image search, it works.
Johnny Depp could do it, obviously, or Christian Bale for that matter, or any actor with a thin face and brown eyes (or willingness to wear contacts). Really, Joaquin Phoenix looked so little like Johnny Cash that the casting is pretty wide open. So who would you like to see twanging about your cheating heart?
