Eddie Redmayne is being lined up to play Stephen Hawking.
The 'Les Miserables' breakout star has been offered the role of the celebrated theoretical physicist in new biopic, 'Theory of Everything', according to Deadline.
Best Documentary Oscar-winner James Marsh will direct the feature, while Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are producing based on a script by Anthony McCarten.
The film is set to focus on Stephen's personal life and his relationship with his wife rather than his scientific endeavours. The lead female character is thought to be Hawking's first wife, Jane Wilde, and not his second spouse, Elaine Mason.
The physicist suffers from a degenerative motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and is almost entirely paralysed, communicating only via a speech-generating device, so the role would be a tough challenge for in-demand actor Redmayne.
Hawking has portrayed himself several times on the small screen, but never in film. He voiced an animated version of himself on both 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama', as well as guest-starring on 'The Big Bang Theory' in 2012 and appearing in a 1993 episode of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation'.
Meanwhile, 'Jupiter Ascending' hunk Redmayne is also being courted to star opposite Carey Mulligan in Thomas Vinterberg's adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel 'Far From The Madding Crowd'.
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