Consider us intrigued: Tom Hanks in talks to star in Warner Bros.’ Theo of Golden

Bit of a publishing scrum on, as studios scramble for the hottest book-to-film rights ahead of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Down at Warner Bros., they’re apparently putting the finishing touches on a deal to nab the screen rights to Theo of Golden, a first novel by Allen Levi that’s somehow shifted millions already—despite no one I know admitting to having actually read it. And, because this is 2026, there’s some Tom Hanks in the mix, circling to play the lead before anyone else can get their hands on it.

Theo of Golden has sold over 3.5 million copies in the US alone and has been translated into 43 languages.

The Book Everyone’s Buying

The source material here is no flashy thriller: Theo of Golden is what publishers like to call “quiet and character-driven”—so make of that what you will. The story follows an 86-year-old widower, Theo, who relocates to a small, fairly anonymous town in Georgia, lugging memories he’d rather not unpack. Upon arrival, he fixates on a series of hand-drawn portraits hanging up in a local café, done by some local artist nobody’s ever heard of, and promptly buys the lot—92 pieces in all. But instead of discarding them, he hunts down the people depicted in each sketch and insists on handing them over in person. All he wants in return: a cuppa, a chat, and a bit of their story—nothing else.

If you’re trying to picture the cinematic equivalent, think gentle pacing, lots of meaningful silences, the odd bittersweet monologue, and a town full of locals either baffled or quietly moved as Tom Hanks (because let’s face it, that’s who we’re all picturing now) quietly changes their lives while hiding a rather weighty backstory of his own. There’s the burnt-out accountant, the grieving school custodian, and presumably, at least a couple of wisecracking neighbours.

A Publishing Juggernaut

This isn’t some critical darling with a niche audience: it’s an honest-to-god blockbuster, at least by bookshop standards. Levi’s debut hit shelves via Simon & Schuster last October, shot straight up bestseller lists—first in the States, then rolling through the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, and just about everywhere else—and found itself translated into over 40 languages before you could blink. To put a pin in it, that’s over 3.5 million copies sold, worldwide translations in 43 markets, and counting.

It’s so visible right now you can’t walk into a Chapters or Waterstones without tripping over a staff recommendation. The cover’s minimalistic (of course), and while the story has apparently turned into a bit of a book club phenomenon, it’s fair to say it’s got more of a passionate fanbase than universal critical raves. Judging by the clamour to get it onto celluloid—and Tom Hanks’s people sniffing around—it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

• Title: Theo of Golden
• Author: Allen Levi (debut)
• Status: Warner Bros. deep in negotiations for film rights
• Potential star: Tom Hanks
• Sales: 3.5 million copies sold (US), translated into 43 languages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (released October 2025)
• Plot hook: Elderly widower distributes portraits & stories in a US small town