Tom Hiddleston to play villainous role in new Aardman film Early Man

Hiddleston was seen earlier this year in BBC drama The Night Manager

Actor Tom Hiddleston is to voice a villainous role in Early Man, the next film from animation company Aardman.

The Thor star said he felt "incredibly honoured" to have a role in the film, out in the UK in January 2018.

The Night Manager actor will play Lord Nooth, described as a "ridiculously pompous... money-loving tyrant", in the prehistoric comedy adventure.

Director Nick Park said it had been "thrilling to see [Hiddleston] bring our comic villain to life".

Hiddleston, whose previous voice roles include a part in 2014's Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy, said he is a long-time fan of Park and Aardman.

Writing on Instagram, he said Park was "absolutely as brilliant as you might expect" and that the film would be "hilarious".

"Sometimes he makes me laugh so much I have to leave the sound studio for five minutes and calm down and have another go," he went on.

Eddie Redmayne will voice the lead role of Dug in Early Man, Park's first feature film since 2005's Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Set "at the dawn of time", the StudioCanal release tells of a plucky caveman who "unites his tribe against the mighty Bronze Age".