Some new details emerge about Tom Hanks' next directorial project...

...including a new bit of cast information and a more detailed look at the plot. The Hollywood Reporter has the story:

Bryan Cranston is in final negotiations to co-star with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in "Larry Crowne." Hanks also is directing the dramedy for Vendome and Universal.

Written by Hanks and Nia Vardalos, the story centers on the title character (Hanks), who is downsized from his job and decides to start over by enrolling in college. There he forms some unexpected bonds with fellow students while also catching the eye of a professor (Roberts).

Cranston, stars of USA's "Breaking Bad," is playing Roberts' husband, a blogger who spends most of his time looking at porn.

Hanks is producing with his Playtone partner Gary Goetzman. Vendome is financing the film, which begins principal photography this month in Los Angeles. Universal is distributing the movie domestically.

The UTA-repped Cranston has won back-to-back Emmys for his performance in "Bad," one of cable's critical darlings. He is shooting Disney's sci-fi tentpole "John Carter of Mars."

-Sounds a bit like 'Back To School', but I love that movie...thoughts?

Tom Hanks to step behind the camera again on a project he also wrote, which happens to reunite him with Julia Roberts as well!

Yes, that title is a mouthful, but it pretty sums up this news. Here's the quick story from Variety:

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are teaming up in "Larry Crowne" with Hanks set to direct from his own script.

"Crowne" will be produced by Gary Goetzman, Hanks's producing partner at their Playtone shingle.

CAA is packaging the project, which doesn't have distribution yet.

Story centers on a middle-aged man being forced to find a new career.

Hanks and Roberts co-starred in 2007's "Charlie Wilson's War" for Universal.

Hanks last directed "That Thing You Do" in 1996.

-Thoughts on this project?

Toy Story 3 gets a Poster too today!

Thoughts?

The Da Vinci Code series moves closer to being a Trilogy

From Variety:

While Columbia Pictures is prepping for the May 15 release of the Ron Howard-directed Tom Hanks-starrer “Angels & Demons,” the studio will move quickly to get the ball rolling on the third installment of the franchise.
Dan Brown has announced that his next installment of the “Da Vinci Code” series is “The Lost Symbol,” which will be published in the U.S. and Canada by Doubleday on September 15, 2009. The first print run will be a whopping 5 million copies.
Sources said that Brown has completed his manuscript.
The announcement was made by Sonny Mehta, chairman/editor in chief of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.
“This is a great day for readers and booksellers,” said Mehta.
It is not a bad day for Columbia Pictures, either, which has another continuing global franchise to go along with “Spider-Man.”
-One can only assume Tom Hanks and Ron Howard will soon be locked up...these movies never interested me, despite my love for Hanks and evolving respect for Howard...how bout you?

Speaking of Tom Hanks...

Variety reports he may have a new project:

Universal will develop "Major Matt Mason," a live-action feature based on the vintage Mattel action figure. Pic will be developed as a star vehicle for Tom Hanks, and Graham Yost will write the script.
Playtone partners Hanks and Gary Goetzman will produce.
The toy line originated in 1966; Mason led an astronaut team that worked on the moon and lived in a space station. The toy was a hit in the buildup to the first manned moon mission. Mattel retired the line in the 1970s.
When Mattel execs Tim Kilpin and Barry Waldo came to Playtone for a meeting, they brought an arsenal of the Matt Mason figures. Hanks came armed with his own.
Waldo will serve as exec producer with Kilpin.
Yost's script credits include "Speed." He and Hanks explored moon matter when Hanks was an executive producer of the HBO mini "From the Earth to the Moon," with Yost serving as supervising producer and writer of two episodes. Yost has also been a writer or producer for Hanks and Goetzman on the Playtone-produced HBO minis "Band of Brothers," "John Adams" and "The Pacific."
Mattel is teamed with Warner Bros. and producer Joel Silver on "He-Man and Masters of the Universe," which will be directed by "Kung Fu Panda" co-director John Stevenson, and "Hot Wheels," which moved from Sony.
Universal adds the film project to several toy-based movie projects the studio has percolating with Hasbro, with a "Stretch Armstrong" film being written by Steve Oedekerk, "Monopoly" with Ridley Scott, "Candyland" with "Tropic Thunder" scribe Etan Cohen and director Kevin Lima, and the Platinum Dunes-produced "Ouija."
-In Hanks I trust...how bout you?

Angels & Demons Poster