When Oscar winners find a project on which to collaborate, we sit up and take notice. When Oscar winners find a project involving Nazis on which to participate, we stand and stare. And when Tom Hanks finds any project having to do with World War II … well, let’s just say you have our full attention.
Hanks reportedly is looking at The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius to possibly direct the adaptation of In the Garden of Beasts, an historical project in which Hanks would star, according to Deadline. The two-time Oscar winner would play William Dodd, the U.S. ambassador to Germany during Hitler’s reign. Even though Dodd suspects something is going on, his family is smitten with the Nazi party, with his daughter even falling for a man of power in the Nazi party.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Hanks has been circling this project for some time, and adding last year’s Oscar winner, Hazanavicius, would be a bold step forward. But Deadline also says that Natalie Portman – Oscar winner for Black Swan -- is interested in the part of Dodd’s daughter. Her participation isn’t set in stone yet, though Hazanavicius reportedly will begin working on a new draft of a script with a fresh writer.
The subject matter driving Erik Larson’s best-selling book is sure to drive ticket sales. Given his past successes with Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, audiences have come to respect Hanks’ take on U.S. history. The idea of him teaming with Portman and Hazanavicius on such a prestigious project has us excited. How about you?
