Tom Hanks has signed on to work with German director Tom Tykwer again for an adaptation of Dave Eggers’ A Hologram for the King.
Tykwer and Hanks recently worked together on 2012’s Cloud Atlas, which Tykwer co-directed with the Wachowski siblings. A Hologram for the King would be a solo-directing turn for the Run Lola Run director, reports Deadline. Hanks will take the leading role in the project.
A Hologram for the King centers an a failed American businessman who decides to go to a booming city in Saudi Arabia for one last chance at redemption. It was published by McSweeney’s in 2012 and was on the National Book Award list of finalists.
According to The Wrap, producers include Hanks and his Playtone partner, Gary Goetzman, along with Stefan Arndt, Uwe Schott and Tykwer of X Filme Creative Pool.
Hanks is still on Broadway, performing in Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy. He and Tykwer struck a friendship while making Cloud Atlas, which flopped at the box office, but earned some praise from critics.
The two-time Oscar winner will likely get a shot with a third, since he has two films coming out this fall - Sony’s Captain Phillips, which hits theaters on Oct. 11, and Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks, which comes out on Dec. 20.
