Warner Bros Pictures is moving forward with a feature film adaptation of the Allen Levi bestseller Theo of Golden. Tom Hanks is in talks to star as the title character in the project. The film is currently in the early stages of development as the studio secures rights to the popular novel.
Allen Levi wrote the book after transitioning from a law career to music. The story follows Theo, a man who arrives in the town of Golden and begins creating pencil portraits of residents. Through these interactions, he processes personal tragedies from his past. The book found success through word of mouth and later reached a wide audience, selling over 3.5 million copies in multiple languages.
Producers Gil Netter, Gary Goetzman, and Tom Hanks are leading the development of the adaptation. The author is set to serve as an executive producer. Studio executives Jesse Ehrman and Sheila Walcott are overseeing the production for Warner Bros, with the project being flagged for the studio by literary affairs executive Ian Dalrymple.
This marks another project for the Playtone partners, who recently completed work on the upcoming film The Comebacker. While the novel has gained a significant following among mature readers, the transition to the big screen marks a new phase for Levi’s work. The film joins a slate of recent high-profile adaptations currently in development.