Tom Hanks is moving in as your favourite cardigan-clad neighbour in the first trailer for “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
The actor has some big loafers to fill starring as beloved children’s television icon Fred Rogers in the upcoming film, but from this first look it’s clear that Hanks has done his homework.
Directed by Marielle Heller (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”), the film chronicles a critical chapter in Rogers’ story, instead of giving him the biopic treatment, as jaded journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) profiles the entertainer in the later years of his life.
Loosely based on the real 1998 Esquire profile of Rogers, the film follows the duo’s unexpected friendship as Rogers’ perspective on empathy and kindness changes Vogel, who’s starting a family of his own with “This Is Us” actress Susan Kelechi Watson.
The trailer begins with Hanks singing the opening theme song to the long-running “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” perfectly capturing the host’s gentle nature, while nailing his inflections and demeanour.
Filming for the project kicked off in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in mid-September 2018, but was briefly halted when a sound technician working on the film died from a fall on set.
The film also stars Chris Cooper, Enrico Colantoni, Maryann Plunkett and Tammy Blanchard.
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” hits theatres on Nov. 22.
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