TriStar Pictures has landed worldwide distribution rights to the Mr. Rogers biopic “You Are My Friend,” with Tom Hanks attached to play the iconic TV personality.

“Diary of a Teenage Girl” director Marielle Heller is helming the pic from a script by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster.

“I’m thrilled to be making ‘You Are My Friend,'” Heller said. “The script knocked me out with its message of kindness and its exploration of the human spirit. As a mother, I am so inspired by the teachings of Fred Rogers and as a human I am in awe of his life’s work. I can’t wait to bring his story to the public and be a part of such a thoughtful, smart group of people who are all coming together to make this film, which truly feels to me like an antidote to our very fractured culture.”

The film is inspired by a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and award-winning journalist Tom Junod. In the story, a cynical journalist begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved icon and finds his perspective on life transformed.

“This is the perfect alchemy of talent coming together at the perfect time to remind us all of the transformative power of kindness and respect to heal and to unite. We are proud to partner with Marielle, Tom and everyone at Big Beach to bring this inspirational true story to audiences all over the world,” said Hannah Minghella, president of TriStar Pictures.

Big Beach Films is producing with Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf producing for the company alongside Youree Henley (“The Beguiled”). Leah Holzer of Big Beach will executive produce, along with Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster. The project originated from a true story developed by Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster, first appearing on the Black List in 2013.

“Now more than ever, we all need a re-introduction to Fred Rogers’ message of uncompromising love and kindness between all living things. Mari Heller is the perfect visionary filmmaker to bring Noah and Micah’s script to life and because of her vision and this remarkable script, we have the quintessential actor to play Fred Rogers,” said Turtletaub and Saraf.

Minghella and Shary Shirazi will oversee the project for TriStar Pictures. Production is set to begin in the fall.

Hanks is hardly a stranger to playing real-life personalities. In last year’s “The Post,” which was recently nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, he played Washington Post editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee. It’s currently unknown when this film would start production, as Hanks has a handful of films expected to shoot this year, including Sony’s World War II movie “Greyhound,” which Hanks wrote as well as stars in.

Hanks is also attached to star in the Amblin film “Bios,” which is produced by Robert Zemeckis with Miguel Sapochnik directing. Hanks is repped by CAA.

Heller is represented by UTA and Ziffren Law Firm. Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster are represented by UTA and managed by Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and James Feldman at Lichter, Grossman Law Firm. Junod is represented by Lucy Stille of APA and David Black of the David Black Agency.

PBS Distribution is releasing the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: It’s a Beautiful Day Collection on DVD, in honor of the show’s 50th anniversary. It will include 32 episodes (over 15 hours of content in all), including the B&W premiere. Look for it on 3/27 (SRP $19.99).

Sony has given an Oct. 18, 2019, release date to the Mr. Rogers drama “You Are My Friend,” with Tom Hanks attached, and set “Bad Boys for Life” to open on Jan. 17, 2020.

“Diary of a Teenage Girl” director Marielle Heller is helming “You Are My Friend” from a script by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. The film is inspired by a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and award-winning journalist Tom Junod. In the story, a cynical journalist begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved icon and finds his perspective on life transformed.

Big Beach Films is producing with Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf producing for the company alongside Youree Henley (“The Beguiled”). Leah Holzer of Big Beach will executive produce, along with Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster. The project originated from a true story developed by Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster, first appearing on the Black List in 2013.

Matthew Rhys is joining the neighborhood.

The Americans actor will star opposite Tom Hanks in TriStar's Mr. Rogers biopic You Are My Friend, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

The feature, which is set to begin production in September, is inspired by a real-life friendship between Rogers and award-winning journalist Tom Junod, who will be played by Rhys. The cynical journalist begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved TV icon Mr. Rogers and finds his perspective on life transformed.

Director Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl) will helm from a screenplay by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster that appeared on the 2013 Black List.

Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf will produce via their Big Beach Films, along with Youree Henley. Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster will executive produce alongside Big Beach's Leah Holzer. Hannah Minghella and Shary Shirazi will oversee the project for TriStar.

Mr. Rogers is the subject of the Focus Features documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor, which has earned an impressive $15 million at the box office.

Rhys will next be seen in Sony's Mowgli, the Jungle Book re-telling from Andy Serkis. He is repped by WME, the U.K.'s United and Management 360.

The film is inspired by a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and award-winning journalist Tom Junod. In the story, a cynical journalist begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved icon and finds his perspective on life transformed.

A veteran, Emmy Award-winning sound crew technician from Pittsburgh died Thursday night after falling two stories from a balcony on the set of the film “You Are My Friend,” based on the life of Fred Rogers.

The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Friday morning that James M. Emswiller, 61, of Lincoln Place died about an hour after the incident, which took place shortly before 7:30 p.m.

Police were called to the movie set in the 700 block of Shady Drive East in Mt. Lebanon for a report of a man who had fallen from a second-story balcony, according to authorities.

Mt. Lebanon police located the man on the ground at the rear of an apartment building with several crew members, including a set medic, attempting life-saving measures. Officers assisted with CPR and paramedics arrived soon after.

Mr. Emswiller was then taken to UPMC Mercy, where he later died, authorities said.

Witnesses told police the man was alone on the balcony taking a cigarette break when he may have suffered a medical emergency resulting in his fall. Earlier reports stated he may have suffered a heart attack.

The medical examiner’s office will determine the cause of death.

“All of a sudden all of these lights were just everywhere, and they started inching closer toward us shining into the bar, and I was like what is happening out there, and there was just people everywhere, people on the curb sitting,” Vince Passerini, who was down the street at a local eatery, told Post-Gazette news partner KDKA-TV.

Mr. Emswiller worked 32 years as a self-employed production sound mixer, working on such films as the “Avengers” and “Jack Reacher,” both in 2012, and the “Abduction” in 2011.