Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg’s new Cold War movie has a title

By Rick Marshall March 18, 2015

tom hanks miracle on the hudson clint eastwood bridge of spies — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Any big-screen collaboration between Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks comes with high expectations, and the upcoming Cold War thriller that once again pairs up the award-winning duo is no exception. Now, that much-anticipated project has an official title: Bridge of Spies.

Directed by Spielberg from a script penned by Matt Charman and Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, Bridge of Spies chronicles the real-life story of attorney James Donovan (as played by Hanks), who negotiated with the KGB for the release of spy plane pilot Gary Powers during the height of the Cold War. Donovan, who chronicled his experience with the Powers’ trial in the 1964 novel Strangers On A Bridge, was also an associate prosecutor at The Nuremburg Trials and was instrumental in drafting the legislation that established the Central Intelligence Agency.

Along with announcing the title of the film, studio Dreamworks Pictures also released the first official image from the movie. The photo features Hanks (of course) as Donovan.

The studio also confirmed that Oscar-nominated composer Thomas Newman (The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Saving Mr. Banks) will score the film, replacing John Williams due to scheduling problems and health issues experienced by the latter. Williams will reunite with Spielberg on his next film, The BFG, according to the official statement from the studio.

Along with Hanks, the film also stars Mark Rylance, Scott Shepherd, Amy Ryan, Sebastian Koch, and Alan Alda.

Bridge of Spies hits theaters October 16, 2015.

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