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

By Matt Donnelly

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Sony Pictures has titled its new film about beloved TV personality Fred Rogers, and it fits like your favorite cardigan.

Tom Hanks stars in the previously untitled movie, now named “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” It was directed by Marielle Heller and will hit theaters in fall 2019. The cast also includes Matthew Rhys, Chris Cooper, Tammy Blanchard, and Sakina Jaffrey.

The film is inspired by a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers, star of the long-running “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and award-winning journalist Tom Junod. It tells of a cynical journalist who begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved icon and finds his perspective on life transformed.

Heller (“The Diary of a Teenage Girl” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) is directing from a script by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. Hannah Minghella, president of TriStar Pictures, will oversee for the studio. 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.

Next year will be a busy one for Hanks, as he’ll release “Greyhound” with Sony in March and “Toy Story 4” from Disney in June.