Tom Hanks has journeyed into outer space before in Apollo 13, and played an action figure in multiple Toy Story movies. He'll get to finally combine both in a new live-action movie about classic toy action figure Major Matt Mason, which is being put together by Paramount Pictures.
Variety reports Hanks will star as Major Matt Mason, an astronaut action figure created by Mattel in the 1960s during the Space Race. Mason is stationed on the moon, but he won't be there alone as he's joined by Mason's Crew, which included Sgt. Storm, Doug Davis, and Lt. Jeff Long. They would encounter various extraterrestrial threats, occasionally aided by the alien Captain Lazer.
The film will be written by Akiva Goldsman, who has worked with Hanks before on The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons. He'll be adapting a short story by Pulitzer-winning author Michael Chabon. Goldsman's a notoriously spotty writer, but he's done some of his best work with Hanks. Or maybe Hanks just made him look good. Just don't let him direct, not after that Winter's Tale debacle.
It's unclear what kind of movie this is going to be, and I guess we'll figure that out when a director is named. They could go for a tone geared towards kids, or take a more serious approach. The latter may appeal to those who are actually familiar with the toy. Hanks would be more than suitable no matter what Paramount decides to go with.
