Tom Hanks Starring In Remake Of Oscar-Nominated ‘A Man Called Ove’

There’s nothing Hollywood likes more than taking a foreign hit and trying to duplicate it with Hollywood success. The Weinstein Company are trying to make that alchemy happen with “The Upside” starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart, their redo of the 2012 French smash hit “Intouchables.” Now, Tom Hanks is going to see if his charm can turn a Swedish sensation into stateside business.

The actor will star and produce in a remake/adaptation of “A Man Called Ove.” Based on the book by Fredrik Backman, the film tells the story of a cantankerous old man, who sparks an unlikely friendship with the mixed race family who move into his neighborhood. It’s feel good fare, and it’s easy to see why Hanks believes he can make a redo work. Here’s the synopsis for the Swedish language film, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the last Oscars, and was a hit in the country:

Stepping from the pages of Fredrik Backman’s international best-selling novel, Ove is the quintessential angry old man next door. An isolated retiree with strict principles and a short fuse, who spends his days enforcing block association rules that only he cares about, and visiting his wife’s grave, Ove has given up on life. Enter a boisterous young family next door who accidentally flattens Ove’s mailbox while moving in and earning his special brand of ire. Yet from this inauspicious beginning an unlikely friendship forms and we come to understand Ove’s past happiness and heartbreaks. What emerges is a heartwarming tale of unreliable first impressions and the gentle reminder that life is sweeter when it’s shared. 

No word yet on a writer or director, but Hank will undoubtedly pull some big talent. [THR]