Sep 21, 2017 14:49 CEST Tom Hanks will star in A Man Called Ove
Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman will produce with Rita Wilson and Fredrik Wikström Nicastro for Nordic major SF Studios A Man Called Ove. Hanks will also star as Ove in the comedy based on the Swedish international bestseller and the Oscar-nominated box office smash produced by SF Studios and directed by Hannes Holm.
A Man Called Ove was nominated for two Academy Awards earlier this year and was the highest-grossing foreign language film in the United States in 2016. In addition, the film was awarded with Best Comedy prize at the European Film Awards in 2016.
Fredrik Backman’s debut novel became an international sensation following its 2012 publication, hitting No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List and remaining on the list for a consecutive 77 weeks. It has been translated into 43 languages.
“We are thrilled and extremely happy to have joined forces with Tom Hanks and the very successful Playtone in this project,” says CEO of SF Studios Michael Porseryd. Producer Fredrik Wikström Nicastro continues, “I strongly believe that A Man Called Ove is a universal story that resonates strongly with an American and international audience. 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.”
“This story about love, tolerance and hope amplifies the qualities in movies that are hallmarks of the classic films we know and love,” comments Rita Wilson. “A Man Called Ove transcended the language barrier to touch readers and audiences in ways we long for. What an honor to be part of such beautiful material.” A Man Called Ove is one of the features included in SF Studios’ strategy to produce English language films for the international market based on Nordic IP and/or with Nordic talent. First out is Borg/McEnroe, starring Sverrir Gudnasson, Shia LaBeaouf and Stellan Skarsgård directed by Janus Metz (Armadillo) which just had its world premiere as the opening film of Toronto International Film Festival, and is sold to over 150 countries. It will be followed by the thriller Horizon Line written by the 10 Cloverfield Lane scribes Josh Campbell & Matt Stuecken, and I am Victor written by James Bond scribes Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, based on an upcoming novel by Jo Nesbo, to be directed by Baltasar Kormakur (Everest).
Hanks is represented by CAA.
Tom Hanks Contacts:
• Leslee Dart @ 42West 212-277-7555 • Michelle Margolis @ 42West 310-477-4442
SF Studios Contacts:
• Fredrik Wikström Nicastro (SVP International Production): +46 70 413 63 83, [email protected] • Kristina Linglöf (Head of Communications): +46 70 305 22 27, [email protected]
About SF Studios
SF Studios, founded in 1919, is one of the world’s oldest film companies and the leading film studio in the Nordic region. Its business includes production and distribution of feature films and TV series and the digital services SF Anytime and SF Kids Play. SF Studios has its head office in Stockholm, Sweden and subsidiaries in Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki and London, and is part of the leading Nordic media company Bonnier AB.
About Playtone
Hanks and Goetzman’s Playtone is currently in production on Mamma Mia! 2, their sequel to the $600 million grossing 2008 original. Currently, CNN is airing Playtone’s The Nineties, which was preceded on CNN by the Emmy- nominated series The Sixties, The Seventies and The Eighties. Hanks and Goetzman are also in post-production on Notes From The Field, their HBO adaptation of Anna Deavere Smith’s one-woman show, and pre-production on the Hanks-starrer Greyhound, a Sony Pictures WWII drama, which Hanks also penned.