Tom “I Haven’t Met a Person I Haven’t Wanted to Play” Hanks will be starring as famous children’s television entertainer Fred Rogers in the biopic “You Are My Friend,” according to Variety. Marielle Heller (Diary of a Teenage Girl) is directing the film from a screenplay by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. Heller (no relation to our own Jeff Heller, that we know of) had this to say about the 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.”
Fred Rogers, who died in 2003, is best known for hosting PBS’s long running award winning series Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood for over three decades. The movie will be based on the real-life friendship between good-natured Rogers and cynical journalist Tom Junod. A documentary about the television series titled Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, will be released by Focus Features in June 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eInUUfyqa5o
Perfect! He played an amazing Walt Disney and will be a great Mr Rogers!