Tom Hanks Joins Cold War Thriller, Spielberg May Direct

It looks like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg may team up once again!  The Academy Award-winning actor is now attached to star in an upcoming untitled film about the Cold War.

Written by Matt Charman and produced by Marc Platt, the untitled project tells the true story of James Donavon, the attorney who negotiated the release of downed pilot Gary Powers who crashed his U2 spy plane over the Soviet Union on May 1, 1960.  Convicted of espionage, Powers was sentenced to three years in prison plus seven years of hard labor.  Thanks to Donavon’s efforts, Powers was released on February 10, 1962 during a prisoner exchange with Soviet officer Rudolf Abel.

Spielberg hasn’t officially confirmed whether he’s directing the project or not, but if he does agree it will be the fourth time the duo have worked together.  Hanks and Spielberg previously worked together on the 1998 war drama Saving Private Ryan, 2002’s Catch Me If You Can and 2004’s The Terminal.  They also worked together to produce the hit HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

Since dropping out of American Sniper last year, Spielberg has not officially committed to any new projects.  He is rumored to be currently developing the Fox sci-fi Robopocalypse and Montezuma, a drama about the famous Aztec ruler and the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes.