Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has been a source of public intrigue ever since he skyrocketed to fame with his 1988 book A Brief History of Time. Since then, there have been countless biographies, documentary specials, and other sources information and entertainment about the celebrated scientist, but no one has ever dared to bring his life to the silver screen. Until now.
According to Deadline, Academy Award-winning director James Marsh (Man on Wire) is set to helm The Theory of Everything, an upcoming biopic about the enigma that is Stephen Hawking. The film will focus on the British physicist’s relationship with his wife and his struggles to come to terms with his degenerative motor neuron disease. Presumably, the wife in question is his first, Jane Wilde, whom he married in 1965 but later left for one of his nurses, Elaine Mason, in the early 1990s (this pair later divorced amidst rumors of physical abuse by Mason).
Set to play Hawking in The Theory of Everything is fellow Brit Eddie Redmayne. The 31-year-old actor is best known for his role as Marius in the recent musical drama Les Misérables, but Redmayne, who won a Tony Award for his performance in the dramatic play Red, can do so much more than belt out “A Heart Full of Love.” Throughout his career, he has proven his ability to take on many diverse roles, from noblemen in period pieces like Elizabeth: The Golden Age and The Other Boleyn Girl, to an idealistic film student in My Week with Marilyn, to a nerdy Southern outcast traveling across Louisiana in The Yellow Handkerchief.
Theory of Everything is still very much in the development stage, but we’re excited to see what Eddie Redmayne brings to this iconic role. The actor has big shoes to fill, but if his past work is any indication, he’s up for it. Also, since we’re talking academics. What is biopic + character with disability? Serious Oscar potential.
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