"You Are My Friend" - Mister Rogers Biopic Starring Tom Hanks

[LL2K2]

From Walt Disney to Fred Rogers. Sounds like a great choice.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tom-hanks-play-mr-rogers-biopic-you-are-my-friend-1079783

'Diary of a Teenage Girl' director Marielle Heller will helm for Sony's TriStar.

Tom Hanks wants to be your neighbor.

The Oscar winner will play TV personality Fred Rogers in biopic You Are My Friend, which has been acquired by TriStar Pictures.

Diary of a Teenage Girl helmer Marielle Heller will direct from a screenplay by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. The screenplay appeared on the 2013 Black List.

The feature, which is set to begin production in September, is inspired by a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and award-winning journalist Tom Junod. The cynical journalist begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved icon and finds his perspective on life transformed.

Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf will produce via their Big Beach, along with Youree Henley. Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster will exec produce alongside Big Beach's Leah Holzer.

Hannah Minghella and Shary Shirazi will oversee the project for TriStar.

Rogers, the star of the long-running children's TV series Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, was the subject of the doc Won't You Be My Neighbor? that premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival and is set to be released by Focus Features.

Hanks, repped by CAA, can currently be seen in Steven Spielberg's The Post. He is set to reprise his role of Woody in Pixar's Toy Story 4 and is attached to Amblin/Universal's sci-fi feature Bios.

Heller, who recently wrapped filming on Melissa McCarthy-fronted Can You Ever Forgive Me? for Fox Searchlight, is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.

CAA and UTA brokered the deal with TriStar.

 

[Schlosser85]

I don’t see Hanks as Rogers.

 

[Guts]

 

[Sawyer]

Because no one would hesitate to say it regarding a female performer playing a real world figure.... Hanks gotta slim down for this one.

 

[terry78]

Makes sense.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Because no one would hesitate to say it regarding a female performer playing a real world figure.... Hanks gotta slim down for this one.

I... Agree. I love Hanks, I think personality wise he could fit... But he honestly doesn't look a thing like Rogers and yes, he would have to lose a lot of weight to come close to Rogers' lanky frame. Also, unless we are talking about using CGI de-aging methods like RDJ in CW, how can he play Rogers as a younger man? Unless this is one of those "near the end of their life" biopics?

 

[Quasimod0]

I don't know if Hanks is the right fit for this one, looks wise.

 

[sueb1863]

Love Hanks, but yeah, he's nothing like Rogers. He's not the sort of actor who can disappear into a role. No matter who he's playing, you never forget that's Tom Hanks. With someone as familiar as Rogers, that might be a problem.

 

[Schlosser85]

I could maybe see David Strathairn.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Love Hanks, but yeah, he's nothing like Rogers. He's not the sort of actor who can disappear into a role. No matter who he's playing, you never forget that's Tom Hanks. With someone as familiar as Rogers, that might be a problem.

I think this was an issue in the film where he played Disney.

 

[Drizzle]

I think this was an issue in the film where he played Disney.

Eh, I bought him as Disney. I'll give him the benefit of a doubt on this one. I assume he'll shed some pounds for it, and that combined with makeup, he'll probably look a lot more like Rogers in this.

 

[Schlosser85]

He was adequate as Disney.

 

[InfinityWar]

Will they show the sniper vietnam stuff from Mr. Rogers ? Will the film be similar to Sam Rockwell in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind ?

 

[sueb1863]

Hanks was OK as Disney, but I never forgot he was Tom Hanks. They could at least make him look kind of like Walt, but there isn't much they can do to make him look like Fred Rogers, who was tall and thin. Hanks is shorter and stocky. I don't think Hanks can safely lose enough weight to get him close to Fred's size.

 

[James.B]

 

[DarkKnight88]

I buy it!

 

[NotNickFury]

Now titled "A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood." I dig it.

Part of me wonders if "Won't You Be My Neighbor" could've worked as a title if it hadn't been used as the title for that fantastic documentary.

Tom Hanks’ Mr. Rogers Movie Gets ‘Beautiful’ Title

 

[Arachnerd]

Nice.

Will they show the sniper vietnam stuff from Mr. Rogers ? Will the film be similar to Sam Rockwell in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind ?

You know that's not actually true, right? He never served in the military.

 

[Schlosser85]

Will they show the sniper vietnam stuff from Mr. Rogers ? Will the film be similar to Sam Rockwell in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind ?

There was no sniper Vietnam stuff. Rogers went straight from school to the seminary to television.

 

[scarlet-witch]

You get that Oscar, Tom Hanks!

 

[samsnee]

He might get nominated but doubt he will get an Oscar. Not enough red meat for Oscar voters.

 

[Pennywise]

 

[terry78]

if he nails the voice that's a lock.

 

[Pennywise]

I think he’ll do great, but he’ll probably just sound like he usually does. Just have to wait and see.

 

[Schlosser85]

He looks a little more like Rogers than I'd have expected, but Hanks pretty much has one voice and sticks with it apart from the Russian-ish accent he did for The Terminal or I guess you could count the Alabama one he does in Forrest Gump and The Green Mile, so I don't expect him to sound like Rogers.