Two-time Oscar-winner Tom Hanks is a man who truly needs no introduction, every bit deserving of the fame and reverence that follows his name. Though his last film, Larry Crowne, wasn’t particularly well-received, his next film, Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close, has some Oscar buzz surrounding it that I’m really interested by, and could see Hanks earning another nominations come the awards season.
According to The Playlist, an offer is now out to Hanks to take the leading role in Paramount’s upcoming action-thriller Patriot Down, which is being produced by Kevin Walsh and Brad Weston.
“[T]he thriller centers on a U.S. president on board Air Force One when it gets shot down over Afghanistan, and of course, he has to go on the run.”
Ian Stone – who’s worked as a second assistant director on huge films like There Will Be Blood, Munich, War of the Worlds, and most recently The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn – will be making his writing debut with Patriot Down, which certainly sounds like it has some potential if Hanks were to take the leading role.
The premise itself perhaps has the potential, as many do, to be handled poorly. But when you attach the right people – of which Hanks is most definitely one – you get the impression that things are just going to turn out brilliantly for a film like this. Hanks is a brilliant and immensely talented actor, and this kind of role sounds perfect for him. His patriotic turns in Saving Private Ryan and Forrest Gump won him an Oscar nomination and an Oscar win, respectively, and there’s no doubt that the audience loves to see him play the role of the American hero.
Personally, if Hanks does take the role, this is definitely something I could get on board with (plane-related pun unintended), and I’m looking forward to hearing more on this project, hopefully sooner rather than later.
