Actor Tom Hanks is in talks to star in a film adaptation of author Allen Levi's best-selling novel Theo of Golden for Warner Bros Pictures.
According to entertainment publication Deadline, Warner Bros Pictures is in discussions to acquire the screen rights to the surprise hit book, with the deal one step away from finalisation.
Producers Gil Netter, Gary Goetzman and Hanks will produce the movie project, while Levi will serve as executive producer. Executives Jesse Ehrman and Sheila Walcott will oversee the adaptation on behalf of Warner Bros Pictures.
Hanks, an Academy Award-winning American actor, joins a project backed by Warner Bros Pictures, a major Hollywood film studio based in Burbank, California.
Plot of Theo of Golden
The novel follows an elderly man who arrives in Golden, a small town in the American South. There, he buys a collection of pencil portraits depicting local residents that are displayed on the walls of a local coffee shop.
As the protagonist returns each portrait to its owner, touching stories and deep human relationships unfold across the community. The journey ultimately helps the main character confront and cope with a heavy trauma from his own past.
Publishing Phenomenon and Media Support
Levi independently published the book in 2023 without any organized marketing campaign. A former lawyer who left the legal profession to pursue music, Levi was living quietly on an island in Georgia when he became a publishing phenomenon shortly before turning 70.
The novel gained popularity gradually through word of mouth, assisted by the author's nephew, Aaron Ritchie, who actively sought ways to raise its public profile. Major American newspapers including The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times subsequently published extensive features on the book.
An appearance by Levi and his novel on Oprah Winfrey's podcast acted as a major catalyst for the book's rapid rise in readership.
Global Sales and Translations
Publisher Simon & Schuster picked up the book for wide distribution last October. According to news agency ANA-MPA, the title has sold more than 3.5 million copies in the United States.
The book has been translated into 43 languages worldwide. It has reached the top of best-seller lists in international markets, including the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom.
