Chris Hemsworth has optioned the rights to Steve Earle's novel I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, with the actor both starring in and producing the adaptation.

The novel tells the fictitious tale of Toby "Doc" Ebersole, who is haunted by the ghost of country music legend Hank Williams, after he was involved in the singer's death in 1953, which lead to his medical license being revoked. The story picks up 10 years later in the red light district of San Antonio, Texas, where Toby supports his morphine habit by performing illegal medical procedures, while still being visited by Hank's ghost. The project's title is spawned from a 1952 song that Hank Williams co-wrote, which was the last single to be released while he was alive.

Benjamin Grayson wrote the screenplay and will make his feature directorial debut, with Chris Hemsworth producing alongside Laura Bickford (Arbitrage). No production schedule was given.

Chris Hemsworth recently wrapped production on Avengers: Age of Ultron, and he will next be seen in Blackhat, arriving in theaters January 16, 2015. Benjamin Grayson served as director Kenneth Branagh's assistant on Thor, and John Lee Hancock's assistant on Saving Mr. Banks.