Outlander star Sam Heughan to play Hollywood icon Paul Newman in new feature film

Sam Heughan will play Hollywood legend Paul Newman in an untitled biopic exploring the relationship between actress Patricia Neal and author Roald Dahl.

Heughan will be appearing as Newman in an untitled biopic of the British children’s author Roald Dahl and American actress Patricia Neal.

He will star alongside Bodyguard star Keeley Hawes and Downton Abbey favourite Hugh Bonneville in the film, which is set in the 1960s when Neal and Dahl retreated to the English countryside to bring up their young family.

Publicity material for the film said it would explore how Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, and Neal, star of The Day the Earth Stood Still and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “find their relationship put to the test, and ultimately strengthened, by tragic events.”

Newman, whose best-known films include Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Slap Shot, was Neal’s co-star in Hud, the 1963 Western drama which led her winning the best actress awards at the Oscars.

Heughan wrote on Twitter: “Lucky to be part of this beautiful movie. Paul Newman was immensely talented, generous and an American icon.”

Producer Donall McCusker said: “We are delighted that Sam has joined us. He is the perfect actor to play Paul Newman and a terrific addition to our already wonderful cast.”

Heughan, who was best known for his starring role the founder of the Tennent’s drinks empire in a series of adverts, has become a huge international star since being cast as Jamie Fraser in Outlander in 2013.

However his star is set to rise even further thanks to major films he has coming up, including Bloodshot, a superhero film starring Vin Diesel, and SAS: Red Notice, a thriller based on the novel by former soldier Andy McNab.