Tom Hiddleston Reportedly Snags Lead Role In Spielberg's War Horse

Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the novel War Horse, scripted by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis from the novel by Michael Morpurgo, is starting to cast up. Last week we heard that Eddie Redmayne had one of the (human) lead roles, and now there's word that the second has been filled by Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki in Kenneth Branagh's Thor.

The word about Hiddleston hit Production Weekly and then tracking boards earlier today, and The Wrap has reportedly confirmed it. Dreamworks and Hiddleston's own reps haven't yet made any comment.

The Wrap does not specify the role Hiddleston has in the film, but the implication is that he plays the French officer who comes into possession of the horse mentioned in the title, which in the story formerly belonged to a young man named Albert. The horse, Joey, is sold to the French calvalry and ends up in the trenches during World War I. Determined to reunite with his friend, Albert goes in search of the horse.

Meanwhile, we also don't have final confirmation of the casting of Eddie Redmayne that The Playlist reported last week. The site reported that he is playing Albert, despite being quite a bit older than the character. Just after that peice ran, Dreamworks denied that any casting had been finalized.

Here's a recap of the play based on the novel, which has been running with great success in London since 2007:

At the outbreak of World War I, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France. He's soon caught up in enemy fire; death, disease and fate take him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in No man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a dangerous mission to find him and bring him home.