Sam Rockwell circling Merle Haggard biopic from Robin Bissell

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Sam Rockwell is easily one of my favourite actors; I love the dude and will check out anything he does. Deadline has reported that the actor is now circling a biopic about legendary country musician Merle Haggard which is slated to be directed by Robin Bissell. Should Rockwell take on the role, it's said that he'll be doing his own singing of Haggard's classic songs of the '60s.

Amazon Studios has acquired the package for the Merle Haggard biopic which will be based on Haggard's memoir, "Sing Me Back Home." In addition to directing, Robin Bissell will also be penning the script together with Merle's widow, Theresa Haggard. This wouldn't be the first time that Bissell and Sam Rockwell have worked together, as the actor starred in Bissell's THE BEST OF ENEMIES, which focused on the rivalry between civil rights activist Ann Atwater (Taraji P. Henson) and Ku Klux Klan leader C. P. Ellis (Rockwell).

Merle Haggard's early life was rather troubled, and following the death of his father, Haggard soon began engaging in petty theft and other crimes and was arrested a number of times, even escaping from juvenile facilities so often that he was sent to San Quentin prison. It was there that he watched Johnny Cash's famous prison concert, which played a part in helping to convince him to change his ways. The film will cover Haggard's "struggle to escape that past to become a better man and legendary artist. Ashamed of his past, Haggard hid his ex-con status from all but those closest to him until finally coming clean on Johnny Cash’s TV show in 1969." It will also focus on Merle's complicated love affair with Bonnie Owens, his singing partner and eventual wife. Sam Rockwell will next be seen, or rather, heard, in THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, which is slated to hit Disney+ on August 21, 2020.