Tom Hanks’ Playtone Productions has announced a full development slate including a television series and musical film according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The company, which has previously produced such projects as That Thing You Do!, The Polar Express, Cast Away, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Mamma Mia!, Where the Wild Things Are and several HBO projects including Band of Brothers, Big Love, John Adams and The Pacific.
This summer, they are also releasing Hanks’ sophomore directorial effort, Larry Crowne which he appears in with Julia Roberts and Bryan Cranston on July 1st.
As for the new projects?
A six-season, open-ended series for HBO, based on Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novel, American Gods, which revolves around the question “are you a god if no one believes in you?”. The series will be executive produced by Playtone partner Gary Goetzman and Hanks, with Bob Richardson, and Gaiman serving as executive producer and writer.
The plan is for each season to be 10-12, hour-long episodes with a targeted for an at the very earliest 2013 release. The series is expected to be effects heavy and according to Goetzman, “We’ll probably be doing more effects in there than it’s been done on a television series.”
Hanks will be starring in the 3D space adventure film Major Matt Mason, based on the Sixties Mattel action figure and will be possibly directed by Robert Zemeckis based on a screenplay by Hanks and Graham Yost.
The toy line centered on characters who worked and lived on the moon.
Finally, Playtone is also developing a screen version of the Broadway musical based on the Green Day album, American Idiot for 2013.
Stage director Michael Mayer will direct with Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong reprising his Broadway role as St. Jimmy.
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