First Clip of Hank Williams Biopic ‘I Saw the Light’ Revealed

Coming from longtime producer Marc Abraham (Children of Men, Dawn of the Dead), whose directorial debut was Flash of Genius, the first clip has now landed, featuring Hiddleston in the studio crooning out one of Williams’ biggest hits.

Tim Hiddleston fans – or Hiddlestoners, as I believe they’re called – are in for a double helping at the just-kicked-off Toronto global Film Festival. Hiddleston shared a short clip of the film on Twitter earlier today, giving audiences the first sample of his take on Williams’ signature sound.

I Saw the Light is based on Hank Williams: The Biography by Colin Escott, George Merritt, and William McEwan.

Hiddleston does a good job here. It chronicles Williams’ rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.

Marc Abraham is writing and producing I Saw the Light for Brett Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment. Notable director of photography Dante Spinotti was the cinematographer for the film.

Williams originally recorded “Move it on Over” in Nashville in April 1947, as you see in the clip; the song was released in June of that year. Elizabeth Olsen plays Williams’ wife, Audrey Sheppard, who was both his manager and duet partner. Starring in the highly-anticipated biopic with Tom Hiddleston are Elizabeth Olsen, Cherry Jones, Bradley Whitford, Maddie Hasson and Wren Schmidt.

I Saw The Light will premiere at TIFF this month before making its theatrical release on November 27.