Sony Pictures has changed the release date for its upcoming comedy-drama A Man Called Otto, based on the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove. Originally scheduled for a December 14, 2022, wide release, the Tom Hanks-led English remake has been pushed back more than a week and is now slated to arrive in select theaters on December 25, 2022. It will then be followed by a wide release on January 13, 2023.
Its new theatrical release date will see the dramedy going up against star-studded films including Women Talking and Babylon. It will also be debuting on the same month as other high-profile films Avatar: The Way of Water and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
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A Man Called Otto is directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay written by Oscar nominee David Magee, based on Fredrik Backman’s Swedish novel. Joining Hanks in the titular role are Mariana Treviño (Overboard), Rachel Keller (Legion), and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (6 Underground).
“It follows Otto (Hanks), a grumpy isolated widower with staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse, who gives everyone in his neighborhood a hard time as he watches over it like a hawk,” reads the synopsis. “Just as it seems like he’s finally given up on life, an unlikely and reluctant friendship develops with his new neighbors. Little by little, Otto undergoes a subtle transformation…but is he really capable of change?”
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A Man Called Otto is produced by Hanks, Rita Wilson, and Gary Goeztman through their Playtone banner along with Fredrik Wikström Nicastro for SF Studios. Executive producers are Magee, Forster, and Renée Wolfe, with SF Studios financing the project.
The original Swedish film starred Rolf Lassgård (Downsizing) and was directed by Hannes Holm. It was a critical success which earned two Oscar nominations including Best Foreign Language Film.
