It's safe to say that whenever actor Tom Hanks switches to being a producer, his preference is for projects that delve into an American historical event. Whether it's the HBO series "From the Earth to the Moon," "Band of Brothers" or "The Pacific," Hanks clearly has a keen interest in the past, and his latest project is no different, as it explores the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Variety reports that Hanks and fellow Playtone principal Gary Goetzman will produce "Parkland," an indie drama that will chronicle "the events leading up to JFK's assassination and Abraham Zapruder's famous documentation of the event." The title refers to the Parkland Memorial Hospital, where not only Kennedy but also Jack Ruby, the man who killed JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, passed. Reportedly, the movie will be an ensemble affair, not unlike Emilio Estevez's Kennedy pic "Bobby," so expect plenty of actors to fill the roles of the wide range of characters outside of the obvious ones like Zapruder and Jackie Kennedy. Expect at least one of those roles to be filled by Peter Scolari.
"Parkland" will serve as the directorial debut of screenwriter Peter Landesman, who previously produced the 2007 Kevin Kline drama "Trade," based on his New York Times article. Landesman also wrote the script for the Warner Bros. hostage drama "The Mission," which, at one point last year had director David O. Russell and Brad Pitt potentially attached.