First Look At Tom Hanks As US TV Icon Mr Rogers

It's not an understatement that the world right now is a depressing mess. So what better balm for that than one of the best, legendarily friendly actors playing a TV icon known for his warm, heartfelt style and penchant for knit cardigans? Take a look above, then, at the first image of Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers for new biopic You Are My Friend.

Though the cosy, charming, and child-friendly presenter of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood might not be quite as iconic in the UK as he was in the States (you can get a taste of his style here{ =nofollow}), his remains a universal story of a good man helping to make the world a little bit better. And the script, written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, will chronicle a particular chunk of Rogers' life and the effect he had on one person in particular: journalist Tom Junod (played in the film by Matthew Rhys). A cynical, award-winning writer, Junod begrudgingly agreed to write a profile on Rogers for Esquire, only to find his perspective on life changed by the encounter.

Marielle Heller is in the director's chair, and Rogers' impact has been felt already at the cinema via Morgan Neville's successful documentary of the man, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, which will make it to UK cinemas on 9 November. You Are My Friend, meanwhile, will be out on 18 October next year in the US, followed by a 1 November release here.

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