When last week's Oscar nominations were released, there was one somewhat surprising omission that was overlooked by most prognosticators and awards commentators. Of course, I'm talking about Tom Hanks, who wasn't able to sneak into a weak Best Actor category for his performance as Ben Bradlee in Steven Spielberg's The Post. James Franco's chances may have been irreparably harmed by sexual misconduct allegations, but Hanks still fell short of the mark. Instead, Denzel Washington managed to get his eighth acting nomination for the little-seen Roman J. Israel, Esq. Now, nobody should shed too many tears for Hanks- the man has won two Oscars and has been nominated for a grand total of five. But when do you think he was last nominated by the Academy? Was it for his role as devoted lawyer James Donovan in Spielberg's Bridge of Spies? Nope, guess again. For playing Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks? Wrong. Well, of course, he must have been nominated for Captain Phillips? Incorrect- as consistent as Hanks has been, his last nomination came in 2000 for Cast Away. That's genuinely stunning for an actor of his caliber, and while all of those performances came in tough years, it's remarkable that he hasn't been recognized.
But something tells me Hanks' streak of Oscar misfortune might be coming to an end. Earlier today, Variety's Justin Kroll reported that Tom Hanks, notably one of the most likable men in America, will be playing TV star Fred Rogers, who became famous for his warm presence and optimistic PBS program. The movie is titled You Are My Friend, and it will be directed by Marielle Heller, based on a script by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. Heller rose to popularity with breakout hit The Diary of a Teenage Girl, and she'll next direct Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the story of celebrity biographer Lee Israel, played by Melissa McCarthy. The Fox Searchlight release will hit theaters on October 19, just in time for awards season. Back to the topic at hand, You Are My Friend will be distributed by TriStar Pictures, and it will follow the friendship between Rogers and cynical journalist Tom Junod. Here's what Heller had to say about this upcoming project:
"I'm thrilled to be making 'You Are My Friend.' The script knocked me out with its message of kindness and its exploration of the human spirit. As a mother, I am so inspired by the teachings of Fred Rogers and as a human I am in awe of his life's work. I can't wait to bring his story to the public and be a part of such a thoughtful, smart group of people who are all coming together to make this film, which truly feels to me like an antidote to our very fractured culture."
The film will be produced by Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf of Big Beach Films, as well as Youree Henley. It's unclear from the report whether the film has a set start date or not, but it mentions other upcoming Hanks projects, including World War II drama Greyhound (written by Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider) and BIOS, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film from Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik. But at this point, I would anticipate You Are My Friend to hit theaters just in time for the 2019 awards season. Any later than that would be seriously surprising.
I never watched much of Mr. Rogers as a kid, and that's probably a generational thing on my part. Nonetheless, I'm interested to see how the pop culture celebration of the TV star plays out over the next year, as Focus Features will also release a documentary about the beloved figure this summer. As for Hanks' casting, it seems like a natural fit. Hanks has effortless charisma, and I have no doubt that he'll receive a big Oscar push for his role here. Look for more information on this one in the coming months.
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures
But something tells me Hanks' streak of Oscar misfortune might be coming to an end. Earlier today, Variety's Justin Kroll reported that Tom Hanks, notably one of the most likable men in America, will be playing TV star Fred Rogers, who became famous for his warm presence and optimistic PBS program. The movie is titled You Are My Friend, and it will be directed by Marielle Heller, based on a script by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. Heller rose to popularity with breakout hit The Diary of a Teenage Girl, and she'll next direct Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the story of celebrity biographer Lee Israel, played by Melissa McCarthy. The Fox Searchlight release will hit theaters on October 19, just in time for awards season. Back to the topic at hand, You Are My Friend will be distributed by TriStar Pictures, and it will follow the friendship between Rogers and cynical journalist Tom Junod. Here's what Heller had to say about this upcoming project:
"I'm thrilled to be making 'You Are My Friend.' The script knocked me out with its message of kindness and its exploration of the human spirit. As a mother, I am so inspired by the teachings of Fred Rogers and as a human I am in awe of his life's work. I can't wait to bring his story to the public and be a part of such a thoughtful, smart group of people who are all coming together to make this film, which truly feels to me like an antidote to our very fractured culture."
The film will be produced by Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf of Big Beach Films, as well as Youree Henley. It's unclear from the report whether the film has a set start date or not, but it mentions other upcoming Hanks projects, including World War II drama Greyhound (written by Hanks and directed by Aaron Schneider) and BIOS, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi film from Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik. But at this point, I would anticipate You Are My Friend to hit theaters just in time for the 2019 awards season. Any later than that would be seriously surprising.
I never watched much of Mr. Rogers as a kid, and that's probably a generational thing on my part. Nonetheless, I'm interested to see how the pop culture celebration of the TV star plays out over the next year, as Focus Features will also release a documentary about the beloved figure this summer. As for Hanks' casting, it seems like a natural fit. Hanks has effortless charisma, and I have no doubt that he'll receive a big Oscar push for his role here. Look for more information on this one in the coming months.
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures
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