With “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” it appears that Tom Hanks is very much in the conversation for some Best Actor love during this year’s awards season. His portrayal of Fred Rogers in the film has already wowed critics during the festival appearances and seems to point to the Oscar-winning actor getting some more awards love in 2019. However, it appears that this time next year, we’ll be talking about Hanks and potential trophies, also, as his new film “News of the World” is getting a prime 2020 release date.
According to Deadline, “News of the World,” which stars Tom Hanks and is directed by Paul Greengrass, is set to be released by Universal on December 25, 2020, just in time for awards consideration. The film is written by Luke Davies and based on the best-selling novel of the same name from author Paulette Jiles.
“News of the World” finds Hanks playing Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a veteran of multiple wars, that travels around the country telling the true stories of kings, queens, feuds, wars, and other newsworthy events. Five years after the Civil War, Kidd is given the job of returning a lost 10-year-old girl (played by Helena Zengel) to her family, after being raised by a Native American tribe for most of her life. The film is a reunion for Hanks and Greengrass, who previously collaborated on the Oscar-nominated film, “Captain Phillips.”
As you might expect, the Christmas Day launch of “News of the World” is going to put the film smack dab in the middle of a very busy box office schedule. The film will open against “Croods 2” and “Untitled Paramount/Skydance Event Movie.” But as if that weren’t enough, the film will be preceded by “Dune,” “Uncharted,” “Coming to America 2,” and “West Side Story,” which are all going to be released the week before on December 18.
If that schedule stays the same, Christmas 2020 is going to be a very busy time for film fans.