Tom Hanks to play Abraham Lincoln in Duke Johnson’s upcoming biopic

Tom Hanks is set to portray Abraham Lincoln in the upcoming film Lincoln in the Bardo, a hybrid biopic blending live action and stop motion animation.

The project is based on George Saunders’ bestselling 2017 novel and will be directed by Oscar nominated filmmaker Duke Johnson, known for Anomalisa. In addition to starring, Hanks will produce the film through his Playtone banner alongside producing partner Gary Goetzman.

According to reports, the film will “explore one of the most intimate moments of Lincoln’s life, centering on his relationship with his recently deceased 11-year-old son. The movie will explore themes of love, empathy and human capacity in the face of grief as the story unfolds through an ensemble of characters, both living and dead, historical and invented.”

The Forrest Gump Oscar winner also shares a distant familial connection to Lincoln. Genealogical records indicate he is related to the former president through Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks.

Tom Hanks is no stranger to portraying real life figures. His past roles include Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, Chesley Sullenberger in Sully, and Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He also narrated the historical docudrama Killing Lincoln, which examined the assassination of the president by John Wilkes Booth.

Among Hanks’ other upcoming screen projects are reprising his voice role as Woody in Toy Story 5 (in theaters June 19) and a sequel to his 2020 WWII naval drama Greyhound.