Tom Hanks Eyed for Adaptation of ‘The Circle’ From the Director of ‘The Spectacular Now’

James Ponsoldt has become one of our most talented and promising new directors following his breakthrough with ‘The Spectacular Now.’ And while he has a couple of other projects in the pipeline, Ponsoldt is also adapting the new Dave Eggers’ novel ‘The Circle,’ which has attracted the eye of actor and producer Tom Hanks. It wouldn’t be the first time Hanks has starred in an adaptation of a Dave Eggers novel, either.

Hanks also recently wrapped filming on ‘A Hologram For the King,’ another adaption of an Eggers novel helmed by Hanks’ ‘Cloud Atlas’ co-director Tom Tykwer. Deadline reports that Hanks is eyeing ‘The Circle,’ which James Ponsoldt will write and direct. Hanks would be the lead in the film as well as producer via his Playtone outfit with partner Gary Goetzman.

‘The Circle’ is a socially relevant property, as it deals with computers, technology, and the security of our private information. The story follows a young woman who is hired for a prominent position by a major Internet corporation known as the Circle, which takes personal info like our e-mail addresses, social media accounts, and financials and consolidates them into one online account. While this should make things easier for people as it offers less hassle and a more civilized consumer experience, the narrative grows increasingly unsettling as the data is used to monitor the private lives of citizens.

Ponsoldt recently completed work on ‘The End of the Tour,’ and is also attached to direct ‘Rodham’ (about the early life of Hillary Rodham Clinton) and ‘Pure,’ based on the Julianna Baggott YA novel of the same name.