Tom Hanks to star as Abraham Lincoln in 'Lincoln in the Bardo'
Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks is set to portray former US president Abraham Lincoln in the upcoming film adaptation of the book "Lincoln in the Bardo".
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Duke Johnson, known for 2015's "Anomalisa", is attached to direct and produce the project with author George Saunders, who penned the 2017 bestselling novel, adapting the screenplay.
According to Variety, Hanks will also produce the project, which is a hybrid of live-action and stop-motion animation, through his Playtone banner with longtime collaborator Gary Goetzman.
While Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, as well as his assassination in 1865, have frequently been depicted on screen — most notably in Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln", which earned Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar — "Lincoln in the Bardo" focuses on a more intimate chapter of the president's life: his relationship with his recently deceased 11-year-old son, Willie Lincoln.
Johnson, Paul Young and Devon Young Rabinowitz will produce the film for Starburns Industries. Steven Shareshian, Aaron Mitchell and Saunders will serve as executive producers. Production is set to take place in London.
Hanks has built a long career portraying real-life figures, including astronaut Jim Lovell in "Apollo 13", pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger in "Sully", Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in "The Post", children's television icon Fred Rogers in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood", and Walt Disney in "Saving Mr. Banks".
