Tom Hanks Drops out of Fahrenheit 451

A remake of Fahrenheit 451 has been on the back burner for a while now, and I think it’s a remake that could actually be pretty amazing, especially when Frank Darabont is running the show. Unfortunately it looks like we’ll be waiting a bit longer to see it as the film has hit another road block – Tom Hanks has dropped out.

Darabont recently talked with MTV where he broke the news.

“Mr. Hanks sadly and regretfully had to back out,” he said. “I was really looking forward to working with him again but his other commitments just precluded it. He had to take a step back.”

Despite Hanks’ withdrawal, the director sounded like he’s as excited about the film as ever. “I see this movie so clearly in my head. It’s flowing in my veins,” he said. And just because you think of books first when you think “Fahrenheit 451,” don’t expect something akin to Jane Austen, Darabont promised. He explained, “One character in the script says, ‘It’s not really even about books. It’s about control.’ It’s about the control of government and authority. It’s one of the greatest books ever written. It’s got all that great political stuff underneath the skin of it but really what it is a great galloping tale.”

I loved Darabont’s choice of Tom Hanks for Guy Montag, it seemed like the perfect role for the actor. Although, with the amount of set backs this project has already had I wouldn’t be surprised if Hanks was able to finish up his “other commitments” before Fahrenheit is ready to shoot.