Joe Wright has taken us through two very different cinematic WWII journeys in Atonement and Darkest Hour, earning accolades for both. Now he’s headed back to that era for a third, and he’ll be going alongside Tom Hanks.
Wright has signed on to direct WWII drama In the Garden of Beasts, based on the novel by Erik Larson. This project has been in the works for years, once with Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) attached to direct, with Hanks starring and Natalie Portman possibly joining him. While Portman is definitely out, Hanks is still on board as a producer and one has to think this is a story he’d want to take a role in.
The film tells the true story of William Dodd, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany during the Nazi era. Dodd was one of the first to suspect the full extent of Hitler’s plans, while his daughter Martha complicated matters by having intimate relationships with a number of top Nazi officials.
The long wait may actually turn out for the best. Wright has been one of the most consistent filmmakers around, and Hanks is someone people trust to be involved with high-quality wartime dramas. No word on a start date, but presumably it will be next for Wright after he wraps up The Woman in the Window with Amy Adams.
