Colin Firth to play King George VI in The King’s Speech

Colin Firth is set to play King George VI in  the upcoming flick, The King’s Speech.

Colin Firth

The movie will be directed by Tom Hooper (Elizabeth I).

The King’s Speech will go into production in end-2009, and will be released in 2010.

The movie is about King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II, also known as Bertie, who becomes King after his brother Edward VIII marries a commoner and abdicates the throne.

King George VI is not considered a worthy king largely due to his nevous stammering. He enlists the help of of a speech therapist, Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush, who works with the king to fix his voice and gain confidence.

The King’s Speech has been penned by David Seidler (Tucker: The Man and His Dream). The movie will be produced by Gareth Unwin, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman.

Bedlam Productions’ Simon Egan will co-produce the The King’s Speech.

The Weinstein Company recently picked the rights for the movie from See-Saw Films and Bedlam Productions. The international rights include all rights for for North America, Germany, France, Benelux, Scandinavia, China, Hong Kong and Latin America.

Colin Firth was last seen in the hugely popular Mamma Mia! and Easy Virtue, that has won rave reviews in the festival circuit.

Firth’s 2009 releases include Dorian Gray, A Single Man, Main Street, and St. Trinian’s II: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold.

Tom Hooper is the director of Elizabeth I and John Adams TV series. His forthcoming films include East of Eden and Long Walk to Freedom both of which are in pre-production.