Tom Hanks is still stinging from the modest financial failure of his romantic comedy Larry Crowne; an Oscar nomination would no doubt salve his box office wounds. Luckily, Hanks is garnering just that kind of a buzz for the upcoming 9-11 drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
Today, we get the first image of Hanks in the film, playing the role of a father who dies in the September 11th attacks. The photo shows Hanks giving a piggyback ride to young Thomas Horn who plays Oskar, the lead of the film. The scene is likely among the many flashbacks expected to be part of the film’s structure.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer and tells the story of Oskar; a nine-year-who deals with the loss of his father (Hanks) in the September 11th attacks by going on a mini-quest to discover the origin of a lock box key his father left behind. Sandra Bullock plays Oskar’s mother under the direction of Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry.
As if having Hanks, Bullock and Daldry in place weren’t buzz-worthy enough, the film boasts an extraordinary supporting cast including John Goodman, James Gandolfini, Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright and Max Von Sydow. Uber-Producer Scott Rudin is heading up the project with a script by four time Oscar nominee Eric Roth.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is set for a Christmas release in New York and Los Angeles with wide release on January 20, 2012. The film has an incredible pedigree, and arriving in theaters mere months after the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks will give it an extra emotional punch. Expect Hanks, Bullock and Daldry to be among the leaders of the Oscar parade come February of 2012.