‘X-Men’ star Hugh Jackman stars in ‘Eddie the Eagle’ with ‘Legend’ actor Taron Egerton

“Eddie the Eagle” will star “Kingsman: The Secret Service” and “Legend” actor Taron Egerton playing the title role opposite “X-Men” star Hugh Jackman. The 2016 biopic is directed by “Age of Kill” director Dexter Fletcher.

“Eddie the Eagle” is about underdog Olympic skier Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards, who was born in Cheltenham, United Kingdom on Dec. 5, 1963. He was the first British skier to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Edwards dealt with major obstacles when he competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics. Aside from insufficient funding, he also had to compete with glasses under his goggles because of his severe farsightedness, which left him virtually blind during jumps.

With Egerton playing Edwards, Jackman plays Edwards’ mentor Bronson Peary in “Eddie the Eagle.” Peary is a ski expert who helped Edwards train for the games.

While “Eddie the Eagle” has been labeled a biopic, only 10 or 15 percent of the movie will be based on Edwards’ life. The screenplay was written by first-time scriptwriters Simon Kelton and Sean Macaulay.

In June, Edwards told The Guardian that he has not really seen the script so he was unaware of what the writers have picked out of the things that happened in his life and what was made up. He is quite anxious about what was exactly put in about his life and how he was portrayed in “Eddie the Eagle,” although he recognizes that there is always a certain amount of poetic license.

Joining Jackman and Egerton in the “Eddie the Eagle” cast are Christopher Walken, Rune Temte, Tim McInnerny, Jo Hartley, Lasco Atkins, Daniel Westwood, Daniel Ings, Mac Pietowski, Anastasia Harrold and Ania Sowinski, among others. The biopic is set to hit theatres on April 29, 2016.

After “Eddie the Eagle,” Jackman will star in “The Greatest Showman on Earth” and in an untitled “Wolverine” sequel in 2017. On the other hand, Egerton will play Robin Hood in the 2017 film “Robin hood: Origins.”

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