Tom Hanks hasn't starred in a Steven Spielberg movie since 2004's "The Terminal," but this year's "Bridge of Spies" should put the esteemed duo back at the top of the Oscars' radar. The Cold War thriller zeroes in on James B. Donovan (Hanks), a lawyer who must use his client, Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance), to negotiate the release of CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), whose plane was shot down by the Soviets in a 1960 espionage controversy.
The story has personal resonance for Spielberg, whose father, a General Electric engineer, visited Russia to exchange ideas right after the incident occurred. In an unreleased video interview that Disney, the film's distributor, shared with The Huffington Post, the director recounts his father's memories of standing in line to see the remains of Powers' U-2, the same way people waited to observe Lenin's tomb. Spielberg says he never forgot Powers' story as a result, which made him jump at the chance to direct "Bridge of Spies" when writer Matt Charman ("Suite Française") pitched the script to DreamWorks. It underwent a rewrite by Joel and Ethan Coen, and on Oct. 16, "Spies" will bring this historic episode to the big screen. The movie also stars Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda, James Caan and Ed Asner. Watch the first trailer below.
Before You Go
