Sam Rockwell might be best known for his dancing, but he's not short of singing ability either. And, if the pieces fall into place, he'll be putting them to good use for a new biopic of Country & Western star Merle Haggard.
Robin Bissell – who directed Rockwell in The Best Of Enemies – is on to call the shorts and will adapt the script alongside Haggard's widow Theresa from the singer's memoir Sing Me Back Home.
While Haggard enjoyed a long and successful career, the film will chart a tough, pivotal period in his life. A teen runaway and petty thief, Haggard was in and our of jail, escaping several Californian juvenile facilities, resulting him being packed off to San Quentin prison as soon as he reached adult age. There, he resolved to turn his life around, and the story will pick him up as one of those who saw Johnny Cash perform at the prison, and then his route to playing clubs, signing with Capitol Records in LA and becoming one of the greatest artists in Country Music history. It'll also follow his love affair with Bonnie Owens, his singing partner and eventual first wife.
Amazon has grabbed the rights to the film and book, and is hoping that Rockwell will sign on the dotted and sing some of Haggard's tunes in the movie.