You can plan on having a happy Hanksmas this year. Per Variety, Sony Pictures has announced a December 25 release date for Tom Hanks’s film A Man Called Otto, which it bought for $60 million in a record-setting deal at the virtual European Film Market. A Man Called Otto is an American remake of the Oscar-nominated Swedish comedy movie based on Fredrik Backman’s best-selling novel A Man Called Ove. The titular character’s name was changed for the movie’s U.S. setting, so Hanks will star as Otto, a grumpy widower who has strict rules for the rest of his neighborhood. Just when he’s feeling ready to give up on life, Otto forms a transformative new friendship with his neighbors, which … sounds about right for a Christmas Day release. According to Deadline, Hanks will be joined in the cast by Cameron Britton (Mindhunter), Mike Birbiglia (The New One), Mariana Treviño (Perfect Strangers), Rachel Keller (Legion), and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven). Marc Forster will direct, while David Magee will adapt the screenplay. Production on A Man Called Otto reportedly began in February in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If you’re anxious for more from Hanks, you can look forward to seeing him in the Elvis biopic this spring. And if that’s still not enough, there’s always his truly one-of-a-kind creation … Chet Hanks.
This post has been updated throughout.