Tom Hanks Headed to Broadway in Nora Ephron’s ‘Lucky Guy’

Tom Hanks will make his Broadway debut next year in Nora Ephron’s “Lucky Guy.”

Hanks will play Mike McAlary, the New York tabloid columnist, in the production, which begins previews March 1, 2013 and is set to open on April 1 at the Broadhurst Theatre.

The cast will include 13 total performers, and additional casting is expected to be announced soon. The play will be directed by Tony winner George C. Wolfe, known for his work on “Angels in America” and “Bring in ‘Da Noise…”

McAlary was once the dominant tabloid reporter in New York City, and obtained the first interview with Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant that was beaten by police officers in 1997. He would win a Pulitzer Prize the following year, though he died of cancer a few months after receiving the award.

McAlary was previously the subject of a different play, “The Wood,” by Dan Klores. He also reportedly was the inspiration for Randy Quaid’s character in the Ron Howard film, “The Paper.”

Ephron reportedly had been working on the play for a year before her death this June, and Colin Callender, lead producer, said previously that his team could “think of no more fitting tribute to her extraordinary writing and remarkable body of work” than to present this final play.

Hanks is a two time Academy Award winner for “Forrest Gump” and “Philadelphia.” Before embarking on his film career, he performed with the Riverside Shakespeare Company in the late 1970s. He also is known for his film roles in “Apollo 13,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Big,” “Splash” and “Sleepless in Seattle.”

The latter movie was written by Ephron, who also wrote “When Harry Met Sally” and “Silkwood.” She won the Oscar for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for all three films. She also wrote the play “Love, Loss, and What I Wore.”