See Tom Hanks As Mister Rogers

Sony Pictures has released the first image of Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers in its upcoming movie based on the beloved host of the children's TV show Mister Rogers Neighborhood.

Sitting on the steps of a trailer, Hanks absolutely looks the part. The hair, the pants, the shoes, and the red sweater--it's all exceptionally close to the appearance of the real Fred Rogers.

The movie tells the story of the real-life relationship between Rogers and journalist Tom Junod, who profiled Rogers for Esquire in 1998. Junod will be played by The Americans star Matthew Rhys.

"After a jaded magazine writer is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about empathy, kindness, and decency from America's most beloved neighbor," reads a line from the movie's official description (via Collider).

Sony's TriStar Pictures is producing the film. TriStar president Hannah Minghella said the upcoming movie wants to "remind us all of the transformative power of kindness and respect to heal and to unite."

Marielle Heller (Diary of a Teenage Girl) is directing the film off a script from Transparent writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. It hits theaters on October 18, 2019.

The new Mister Rogers movie with Tom Hanks follows the Mister Rogers documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor from Oscar winning director Morgan Neville. It was released earlier this year to much acclaim.