Tom Hanks' New Comedy 'A Man Called Otto' Won By Sony In Record-Breaking Bidding War
Leave it to Oscar-winning superstar Tom Hanks to help land the biggest deal in EFM (European Film Market) history. In a staggeringly high bid, Hank's new comedy A Man Called Otto was bought by Sony for a whopping $60 million, giving the production company global rights to the film.
The film was a hot property, with several distributors, streaming platforms, and both indie and mainstream studios vying for the rights. The final bidding came down to Sony and a group of international buyers, but it was Sony who dropped enough coin to win the day. One of the deciding factors was Sony's pledge to keep the film's release theatrical, opening it to about 2,000 screens by year's end.
A Man Called Otto begins shooting as soon as this month in Pittsburg and tells the story of Otto, played by Hanks, a curmudgeonly widower whose attitude towards his neighbors makes him the bane of existence for them, until the day he begins to develop a wary friendship with some newcomers to the block. Soon, Otto learns how to open up and find a life outside of his home.
Tom Rothman, head of Sony Pictures Group, Spoke of his excitement to Deadline,
"What an amazing all-star constellation of talent: Tom Hanks in an iconic role and an exceptional director in Mark Forster; outstanding producers in Rita Wilson, Gary Goetzman and Fredrik Wikström Nicastro; exquisite screenplay from David Mcgee; a worldwide best-selling book; and our long-time partner, SF Studios. Elizabeth Gabler, myself, and Sony have had the privilege of working with all of these giants before, but this time we feel like we hit the lottery."
Mark Forster is set to direct the film based on the 2017 Swedish version, which was based on the book A Man Called Ove. The film will co-star Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and is written by Life of Pi scribe David Magee who will also executive produce.
It is refreshing to see Tom Hanks, who started his career in mostly comedic roles such as The 'Burbs and The Money Pit, going back to his funnyman roots. After a string of serious films and dramatic performances, Hanks will no doubt shine in A Man Called Otto which will likely be out by the end of the year.
