What happens when Tom Hanks joins forces with director Marc Forster for the first time? Enter “A Man Called Otto,” a movie that blends Hank’s usual on-screen persona with the lighter fare in Forster’s filmography.
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Based on Fredrik Backman‘s 2012 novel “A Man Called Ove” and its 2015 Swedish film adaptation of the same name, “Otto” sees Hanks as a widowed grouch who’s ready to give up on life until a young family moves next door and shakes up his life.
Here’s the film’s official synopsis, courtesy of Sony Pictures:
Based on the # 1 New York Times bestseller “A Man Called Ove,” A Man Called Otto tells the story of Otto Anderson, a grump who no longer sees purpose in his life following the loss of his wife. Otto is ready to end it all, but his plans are interrupted when a lively young family moves in next door, and he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol. She challenges him to see life differently, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world around. A heartwarming and funny story about love, loss, and life, A Man Called Otto shows that family can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.
Alongside Hanks, “A Man Called Otto” stars Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. Cameron Britton and Mike Birbiglia round out the main cast.
Dave Magee, who wrote “Finding Neverland” for Forster back in 2004, adapts Backman’s novel for the big screen. Hanks produces the film with Rita Wilson, Gary Goetzman, and Fredrik Wikström Nicastro.
So, where will “A Man Called Otto” fall when it comes to Marc Forster’s lighter fare, more “Finding Neverland” or”Christopher Robin“? Find out when the film hits limited theaters on Christmas Day, or during its wide release, starting on January 13. Watch a new trailer for “A Man Called Otto” below.
