Posted on 01/29/2018 11:35:59 AM PST by EdnaMode
TriStar Pictures has landed worldwide distribution rights to the Mr. Rogers biopic “You Are My Friend,” with Tom Hanks attached to play the iconic TV personality.
“Diary of a Teenage Girl” director Marielle Heller is helming the pic from a script by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster.
“I’m thrilled to be making ‘You Are My Friend,'” Heller said. “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 is inspired by a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and award-winning journalist Tom Junod. In the story, a cynical journalist begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved icon and finds his perspective on life transformed.
“This is the perfect alchemy of talent coming together at the perfect time to remind us all of the transformative power of kindness and respect to heal and to unite. We are proud to partner with Marielle, Tom and everyone at Big Beach to bring this inspirational true story to audiences all over the world,” said Hannah Minghella, president of TriStar Pictures.
Big Beach Films is producing with Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf producing for the company alongside Youree Henley (“The Beguiled”). Leah Holzer of Big Beach will executive produce, along with Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster. The project originated from a true story developed by Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster, first appearing on the Black List in 2013.
“Now more than ever, we all need a re-introduction to Fred Rogers’ message of uncompromising love and kindness between all living things. Mari Heller is the perfect visionary filmmaker to bring Noah and Micah’s script to life and because of her vision and this remarkable script, we have the quintessential actor to play Fred Rogers,” said Turtletaub and Saraf.
Minghella and Shary Shirazi will oversee the project for TriStar Pictures. Production is set to begin in the fall.
Hanks is hardly a stranger to playing real-life personalities. In last year’s “The Post,” which was recently nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, he played Washington Post editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee. It’s currently unknown when this film would start production, as Hanks has a handful of films expected to shoot this year, including Sony’s World War II movie “Greyhound,” which Hanks wrote as well as stars in.
Hanks is also attached to star in the Amblin film “Bios,” which is produced by Robert Zemeckis with Miguel Sapochnik directing. Hanks is repped by CAA.
Heller is represented by UTA and Ziffren Law Firm. Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster are represented by UTA and managed by Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and James Feldman at Lichter, Grossman Law Firm. Junod is represented by Lucy Stille of APA and David Black of the David Black Agency.
I worked with a woman once who said her family summered next door to the Rogers family and that he was a homosexual who brought home his “men”.
I have never heard a hint of this since this woman told me, I assume it is lies and gossip. But I really don’t know whether anyone else knew of such a thing.
You haven’t missed much , she overacts in every role.
see my post 62.
Odd that he would do that.
There is only one kind of person who would do that.
I got that creepy vibe from him all along.
When King Friday was born, everyone in the kingdom was trying to come up with a name for the future monarch. They thought and they thought, but nobody could come up with a fitting name. Finally, Trolley passed by and said, “Call him Friday.”
And that’s how a streetcar named the sire.
I suppose someone has to ask this and it might as well be me:
So how does one heal tantric sex? And why does it need healing?
certainly would have been a 70s hunk if he lost the glasses.
I never saw him and we did not have television for the children. I have only heard about his second hand.
I have never found any substantiation to the claim. This woman was so clear about it, said that few people knew. She was Christian and upset because of his Christian ties.
Thank-you.
Peter Scolari was robbed.
I thought they were bosom buddies.
I saw the headline, I read the story, and the only response I have is...
“You have got to be f*****g kidding me!”
Wow, and here I thought Mr. Rogers was boring (but a nice fella) when I was a kid.
Not that Captain Kangaroo was much better, but hey, at least Mr. Moose had ... ping pong balls!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSpPyTNSlTU
As a tyke I always liked the Cap’n, I think mostly because of the outlandish backup cast.
Years later when I came home from college (no tv in the tiny old WPA-built dorm) and first saw Mr. Rogers, I thought perv pedo kiddie diddler right from the get-go.
Weird pansy pajama boy grown old.
But he's an idiot..leftist moron.
I appreciate Tom Hanks for some of the war movies he made that showed the courage of our troops, but I am dismayed about his lefty behavior towards President Trump. I won’t throw the baby out with the bathwater, but I’m very choosy about which of his movies I’ll watch, even if they’re free.
I always thought he always plays Tom Hanks! Some actors just seem to BE acting, wearing a costume, but not believable.
But an idiot...
I must say that he never gave off a strong masculinity, that is for sure. But I thought him harmless, if a bit pathetically timid and treating children like they were pathetically timid. I was shy as a kid and I thought he was over the top.
I would not be surprised that he would be gay, just surprised it has never come out.
When I saw the swimming episode I thought it was highly immodest for a children’s show. Did anyone want to see Captain Kangaroo’s paunch hanging over his bathing trunks? Well, we didn’t want to see a naked Mr Rogers in his shower, either, nor see (undoubtably at HIS direction) the camera lovingly slide up and down his naked body underwater!!
I didn’t put much stock into what she said, but your description of the show made me remember and re-think it.
I have never heard of anyone saying anything about it besides her. That film could be damnng.
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