Film financiers are about to give consideration to a movie package that would see Tom Hanks star in and produce a cinematic adaptation of the 2013 novel The Circle, by David Eggers. With James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now) originating the project as writer and director, producer Gary Goetzman would join Tom Hanks behind the scenes.
The story could not be more timely, as it sees a young woman named Mae Holland join a giant internet company called The Circle. As a huge corporation, it creates increasingly sophisticated technology, which encroaches further and further into the privacy of every citizen, in the name of transparency. As some of her colleagues are gradually revealed to have motives that are less than innocent, Mae must take steps to prevent a terrible future.
The project is an interesting choice for Hanks, who recently finished filming an adaptation of another Eggers novel – A Hologram For The King. The Circle is being packaged as a ‘star vehicle’ for the Academy Award winning actor, which leads us to two very different possibilities. Either the main character has been re-written as male – which would be a terrible shame – or Hanks is planning to play the main male role opposite the character of Mae Holland. The latter would be the most fascinating option, because the main male role from the novel would be something of a departure for Hanks onscreen.
If Hanks is set to play the main male role, it leaves a great female lead role open in a project that is a fast-paced mystery-thriller. Hanks has a penchant for producing projects with strong female characters – such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Connie And Carla, Mamma Mia!, Game Change, and Olive Kitteridge – so it certainly is a distinct possibility that The Circle will find its way onto that list. The question then becomes, who will play Mae Holland? As ever, We Got This Covered will keep its ear to the ground for further news.
