News

Hank Williams Biopic in Pre-production

1:12 p.m. · August 11, 2009 · by Andrew Winistorfer

Variety is reporting that Nashville-based 821 Entertainment has optioned the rights to make a Hank Williams biopic. Williams had a heck of a run in the late-'40s, early '50s, as he had six songs hit the top ten (including 11 number one hits) each year during a six year career. Williams, who died in 1953 at the age of 29, was one of the first musical giants to commit self-destruction via drugs (Williams preferred morphine) and alcohol, so his life is ripe for the treacly biopic treatment. But there's not likely to be a tidy uplifting narrative arc, since Williams never got clean and did a gospel album (like Johnny Cash). The movie will feature original recordings, so whoever is cast as him won't have to sing (no one has been announced). Here's hoping it's more like Control and less like Ray. [Variety]