Tom Hanks is a lovable grump in A Man Called Otto trailer
The film from director Marc Foster is an adaptation of Fredrik Backman's bestselling novel, A Man Called Ove
Beloved actor, producer, and future superhero novelist Tom Hanks is taking on the most demanding role of his storied career as of yet: a live-action adaptation of the Old Man Yells At Cloud bit from The Simpsons.
Okay, not really. But at first glance, Hanks’ character Otto, from the upcoming film A Man Called Otto, is an almost exact replica of his curmudgeonly yellow counterpart. We’ve all had that neighbor, in one way or another. The one with a seemingly unlimited supply of eye rolls ready to deploy at the slightest provocation, who yells at papillons, and who knows way too much about the permitting structure of the neighborhood.
But as with so many movies that come out around Christmastime, it soon becomes clear that this suburban grinch’s heart truly is capable of growing three sizes: he may just need a little help along the way.
The trailer quickly reveals that this perpetual scowler was not always this closed off—or even as emotionally stunted currently as his harangued neighbors might think. He had a wife, Sonya, whose grave he frequently visits to reminisce and complain about how everything has fallen apart since she left.
Otto’s cloudy world starts to get a bit brighter, however, when a new family moves in next door, consisting of a “nitwit husband” (in Otto’s words), a very pregnant wife, and two adorable daughters with an odd penchant for tiny plastic hands. Soon, Otto is reading bedtime stories, giving driving lessons, and even playing reluctant parent to a mangy gray cat from the street. This story may not be all that new but it is, as always, delightful to watch Hanks inhabit a role that seems tailor-made for his particular brand of warm fuzziness.
A Man Called Otto is directed by Marc Foster (Christopher Robin, World War Z) and also stars Rachel Keller (Tokyo Vice) and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer). It is based on the beloved 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove.
A Man Called Otto will premiere in select theaters December 25, and nationwide January 13, 2023.