Tom Hanks To Play Former U.S. President in Adaptation of a 10/10 Book (& We Can’t Believe It Took This Long)

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The upcoming project is an adaptation of Lincoln in the Bardo, based on the 2017 Booker Prize-winning novel by acclaimed author George Saunders. Directed by Duke Johnson, who previously helmed the Academy Award-nominated Anomalisa, the film will feature Hanks delivering a live-action performance against a backdrop of stop-motion animation produced by Starburns Industries. Rather than focusing on wartime leadership or political maneuvering, the narrative takes place over a single night in 1862, following the commander-in-chief as he visits a Georgetown cemetery to grieve the recent death of his 11-year-old son, William Wallace Lincoln. This emotionally charged premise will unfold through a surreal ensemble of both living and deceased characters navigating the transitional space known as the bardo.

Tom Hanks Is a Genius When It Comes to Biopics

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures

Casting Tom Hanks to anchor an experimental historical drama is a smart move. Throughout his decades-long career, Hanks has consistently anchored true-story adaptations that yielded significant financial returns and critical acclaim for their respective studios. In Ron Howard’s Apollo 13, Hanks portrayed astronaut Jim Lovell, securing a massive $355 million worldwide. In addition, Paul Greengrass’s Captain Phillips hauled in $218 million globally by focusing on the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking, while Clint Eastwood’s Sully earned $240 million by charting the media scrutiny surrounding pilot Chesley Sullenberger.

Beyond raw ticket sales, Hanks’s filmography illustrates a highly effective methodology for adapting heavily documented cultural icons without resorting to simple caricature. In Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Hanks captured the distinct mannerisms of television host Fred Rogers, a performance that resulted in an Academy Award nomination. The role required Hanks to replicate a universally recognized persona while maintaining grounded dramatic tension beneath a charismatic public facade. Similarly, his work as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks demanded the careful navigation of a highly scrutinized, real-world visionary. It’s also interesting to note that Hanks narrated the docudrama Killing Lincoln, which already gives him an insight into the President’s history.

Because the movie utilizes a stop-motion format set within a surreal interpretation of a transitional afterlife space, the upcoming adaptation of Lincoln in the Bardo presents a similar structural challenge for the production team. Consequently, the studio is using the talent and the reputation of Hanks to ensure a baseline of public interest, despite the unorthodox concept of the biopic.

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