Tom Hanks Fought Against Remaking This 50s American Classic 20 Years Ago!

Tom Hanks has always expressed his love for classic films. However, over two decades ago, he strongly resisted the idea of starring in a remake of one, even though he seemed like the perfect candidate for the lead role.

Cult films have long served as inspiration for Hollywood. For decades, studios have attempted to revive past successes through remakes, with varying degrees of success. As noted by our colleagues at SensaCine, Tom Hanks is well-versed in this area: he starred in the Coen Brothers’ 2004 remake of the 1955 British classic Ladykillers, as well as in the 2022 remake of the Swedish film Mr. Ove, titled The Worst Neighbor in the World.

But while Hanks isn’t fundamentally opposed to remakes, he believes that some works simply do not need to be revisited. This is particularly true for Harvey, the 1950 fantastical comedy directed by Henry Koster, starring the unforgettable James Stewart.

The film tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a man whose best friend is an almost six-foot-tall invisible rabbit. This quirky yet endearing premise made Harvey a classic of American cinema.

Tom Hanks Opposed the Remake

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, several remake projects were proposed. In 1999, Miramax was already considering a new adaptation, and Tom Hanks was rumored to resume the leading role. A few years later, in 2009, Steven Spielberg also showed interest in the project, reigniting speculations about a collaboration with Hanks, with whom he had previously worked on films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998), Catch Me If You Can (2002), and The Terminal (2004).

However, Hanks was never charmed by the idea. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2000 during the promotion of Cast Away, he stated unequivocally: “It’s like saying we’re going to make a modernized version of It’s a Wonderful Life… Why? Don’t touch it. Harvey is perfect as it is, thank you.”

This statement perfectly summarizes his stance: some films belong to their era and do not need to be modernized to continue resonating with audiences.

Interestingly, Harvey has undergone several adaptations over the decades, including a television version featuring Harry Anderson and Leslie Nielsen. In one adaptation, James Stewart reprised his role, having felt not entirely satisfied with his original performance and wanting to correct what he saw as his mistakes.

Another remake attempt by Netflix was ultimately not realized. Announced in late 2018 with screenwriters J. David Stem and David N. Weiss, the project never entered production and appears to have been abandoned. Despite these attempts, the 1950 version remains the definitive reference for fans of the film.

Today, the film is available on VOD.

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