Hank Williams was one of the most iconic country stars America has ever seen, moving crowds to their feet (and often to tears) with such hits as 'Lovesick Blues', 'Hey Good Lookin'' and 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry'. But away from the mic stand, his life was often in turmoil. Plagued by crippling chronic back pain from his spina bifida occulta, he found himself repeatedly drawn to alcohol which made figures in the music industry refuse to work with him, and later other substances including painkillers and morphine prescribed by a fraudulent doctor. If that wasn't bad enough, his love life was hardly blissful either; both his marriages were marred by legal misfortunes and can only be described as tumultuous and unstable. By his 20s he had developed heart problems, which ultimately led to the saddening and untimely demise of one of country music's most unforgettable legends.
'I Saw The Light', named after one of Hank Williams' most famous tunes from 1948 and one that was sang as a tribute to him following his death, is a harrowing upcoming drama based on his life starring Tom Hiddleston. Written and directed by Marc Abraham ('Flash of Genius'), the biopic has been based on the biography (entitled simply 'Hank Williams: The Biography') by Colin Escott with George Merritt and William Macewen. It is due to be released in cinemas on February 5th 2016.
Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, David Krumholtz, Bradley Whitford, Maddie Hasson, Cherry Jones, Wrenn Schmidt, Josh Pais, James DuMont, Erica Curtis, Cory Hart, Wayne Pére, Charlie Talbert