Deadline is reporting that Tom Hanks has signed on to produce and star in a remake of the Oscar-nominated Swedish comedy A Man Called Ove.
Hanks is set to play the titular character, “a grumpy widower whose overall unhappiness is exacerbated when he is unceremoniously dumped as chairman of the neighborhood association where he lives. Pushed into retirement in his job on top of all else, Ove gives up and resolves to commit suicide. Every attempt is interrupted by some circumstance that leads him to help a needy neighbor. In the process, Ove develops new relationships that lead him on an unusual journey of introspection and caring for others, even if he never gives up on his attempts to end it all.”
“I strongly believe that A Man Called Ove is a universal story that resonates strongly with an American and international audience,” said producer Fredrik Wikstrom Nicastro. “Making this film with one of the world’s best and most acclaimed actors gives A Man Called Ove the best possible opportunity to once again touch the hearts of audiences worldwide.”
Based on Fredrick Batman’s bestselling novel, the Swedish version of A Man Called Ove was directed by Hannes Holm, and won Best Comedy at the European Film Awards, as well as being the highest-grossing foreign language film at the U.S. box office in 2016.
