Latest Parkland Stories

Landesman will next helm Down By the River, an espionage revenge thriller that will be based on the nonfiction book by Charles Bowden. It tells the tragic story of the murder of the younger brother of a high-ranking DEA agent, and leads to bloody vengeance.

Welcome, students. The topic of today’s Toronto International Film Festival “lesson” is history. Slavery, presidential assassinations and the vicious living conditions in P.O.W. camps are dissected in 12 Years a Slave, Parkland and The Railway Man, respectively.

2006's Emilio Estevez-directed drama Bobby was a take on the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy from the perspective of a lot of people-- played by a lot of celebrities-- who were in the vicinity of the Ambassador Hotel, where he was shot. Bobby didn't do all that well, but that hasn't deterred Tom Hanks (as a producer) from assembling Parkland, a recounting of the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963

But the design is instead something classier than a floating head design, though much drier and non-specific than I would have hoped for. And that’s saying a lot for a poster that has both “November 22, 1963” and “The JFK Assassination as You’ve Never Seen It Before” as taglines.

Tom Hanks' production company, Playtone, is backing the project, and Bill Paxton is also signed on as a producer. Filming will be taking place primarily in Austin - "to achieve the 1960s period look," according to the press release - and while no official release date has been set they are currently looking to release it in time to honor the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's passing.

Actor Jeremy Strong got a double-dose of historical drama in 2012, with roles in both Steven Spielberg's Lincoln and Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty. While he didn't have huge roles in either movie, the actor had the chance to work alongside some of the most talented filmmakers and actors we have today. For his next project, however - another big historical drama - he has a name that you will definitely recognize.

Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden and Zac Efron are the latest actors to join the cast of Parkland, the new John F. Kennedy assassination drama that is being produced by Tom Hanks' Playtone label and Exclusive Media. They join a building all-star cast that already includes Paul Giamatti, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jacki Weaver.

When Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman first announced their intention to produce Peter Landesman’s proposed adaptation of Vincent Bugliosi’s Kennedy assassination book Reclaiming History, the project was billed as a meticulous character study with a real ensemble feel. Consequently, many speculated Parkland would probably steer clear of household names since there wouldn’t be any clear leads. It turns out that’s not the case.