Sony Pictures confirm a Christmas release date for the upcoming comedy film A Man Called Otto, helmed by Marc Forster and starring Tom Hanks.

Tom Hanks’ upcoming comedy-drama A Man Called Otto receives a Christmas release date. Based on Fredrik Backman’s novel A Man Called Ove, the film will depict the story of a depressed widower named Otto, determined to uphold the strict rules of his neighborhood. Growing tired of life without his beloved wife Otto, he decides to end it all, just as some new and unexpected friendships force him to reconsider. The original book quickly rose to acclaim upon its release in 2012, selling over seven million copies and spending 77 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list.

Now, according to a report by Variety, Sony Pictures has declared a Christmas release date for the upcoming feature. Due to its debut on Christmas Day, A Man Called Otto will arrive in theatres just days after the highly anticipated Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The announcement comes over a week after Sony outbid competitors at the Berlin Film Festival’s European Film Market, securing the film for an impressive $60 million.

Helmed by World War Z and Finding Neverland director Marc Forster, the comedy picture stars Tom Hanks in the titular role of Otto. The 65-year-old actor will also produce the project alongside his wife Rita Wilson, Gary Goetzman, and Fredrik Wikström Nicastro for SF Studios. Executive producer David Magee penned the script for the new film, which will also star Rachel Keller, Manuel Garcia Rulfo, and Mariana Treviño. A Man Called Otto marks an Americanized interpretation of the Swedish story, previously adapted in 2015 by Hannes Holm. The film, which achieved two Academy Award nominations, starred Rolf Lassgård as Ove.

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