Tom Hanks is no stranger to World War II, despite being born eleven years after it ended. The popular star of Forrest Gump and The Da Vinci Code has been involved in multiple World War II projects, having starred in Saving Private Ryan and produced the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers and The Pacific. Now he’s ready to go back for more in In the Garden of Beasts, which we have just learned is not a prequel to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Based on the book by Erik Larson (The Devil and the White City Erik Larson, not the Savage Dragon creator), In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin – we’re guessing the title will be shortened – tells the true story of William Dodd, America’s ambassador to Berlin between 1933 and 1937. He arrives in Berlin with his daughter Martha, a socialite whose lovers included Rudolf Diels, the head of the Gestapo, and Boris Vinogradov, a Soviet spy. Although they’re initially sympathetic to Hitler and the Nazi movement, they gradually become aware of the horrors around them and spend most of their tenure protesting the movement to deaf American ears. Martha, to her credit, eventually became a Soviet spy herself. (Note: This would takes place before Americans hated those guys.)
Hollywood Reporter reports that Universal has picked up the rights to In the Garden of Beasts for Hanks to produce with Gary Goetzman. Their production company, Playtone, is responsible for such films as That Thing You Do!, The Green Mile, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Mamma Mia!, Where the Wild Things Are and, in a surprising change of pace, the upcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Tom Hanks has not yet attached himself to star, but is reportedly considering it.
CraveOnline will be back with more World War II news as soon as… Wait a minute… We won! U.S.A…! U.S.A…! U.S.A…!
