It's been revealed today that Tom Hiddleston has joined the voice cast of new Aardman Animation film Early Man.

The film, which is due to be released in January 2018, is set at the dawn of time and tells the story of how plucky caveman Dug (voiced by Eddie Redmayne), along with sidekick Hognob unites his tribe against the mighty Bronze Age in a battle to beat them at their own game.

Hiddleston will play "the ridiculously pompous" Lord Nooth, governor of the Bronze Age town - a money-loving tyrant and rival to the film's Stone Age hero, Dug.

Director Nick Park says of the casting: "Tom is a wonderful actor and it's so thrilling to see him bring our comic villain to life with his amazing talent, energy and enthusiasm. It is a great privilege to work with Tom and I'm so excited to see his character Lord Nooth emerge on screen!"

The Night Manager star says: "I've been a fan of Nick Park and Aardman for as long as I can remember, and am incredibly honoured to be working with Nick and the team on this adventure. I'm thrilled to be able to breathe some semblance of life into this hysterical villain and to work with Eddie for the first time. Early Man made me laugh out loud when I read it. Lord Nooth is larger than life in every respect. I can't wait for audiences to meet him".

Hiddleston posted a picture of him talking to Park via a computer on his Instagram account:

Here is the first short teaser clip from Early Man: