Marielle Heller-Tom Hanks Baseball Movie ‘The Comebacker’ Set At Sony

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures has closed a deal to make The Comebacker, a film that reteams Tom Hanks with Marielle Heller, who directed Hanks as Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. They will shoot the film in October in New York.

Based on a short story by Dave Eggers that was turned into a script by Heller, the film is a love letter to baseball and offers a plum part to an up-and-coming leading man. Hanks plays the pitching coach of a major league hurler whose life is upended when he is hit in the head by a line drive on the mound. The devastating comebacker changes his life in all kinds of ways.

Three studios vied for the project, but Sony Pictures gets this baseball movie. There are several great roles, but nobody is set yet but Hanks. Deadline was first to reveal the package.

Hanks, who previously starred in A League of Their Own, will produced with Playtone partner Gary Goetzman, and Heller’s producing partner Leah Holzer at Defiant By Nature. Peter Richard and Naia Cucukov’s Working Barn Productions will be executive producers.

Hanks and Playtone are repped by CAA, and Heller is repped by UTA. Eggers is repped by CAA and The Gotham Group.