The duo of Tom Hanks and Martin Scorsese working on a project would be like seeing Santa Claus riding on his sleigh delivering gifts to children around the world with your own eyes. And while it never happened during their heyday, there was once a chance of a lifetime, as they came close to working together on a biopic.
The film was a life portrait of the iconic singer and actor Dean Martin, who was a member of the illustrious entertainer group known together as the Rat Pack. Consisting of some of the biggest names of Hollywood in the 50s and 60s, Hanks was more than excited to work on this project with the legendary filmmaker. However, the dream never came true, and instead, he ended up working on Road to Perdition with Sam Mendes.
Tom Hanks Wanted To Make A Dean Martin Biopic With Martin Scorsese That Never Took Off
When it comes to the film industry, seldom there will be a name as grand and revered as Tom Hanks when it comes to award-worthy performances. On the filmmaking side of things, seldom will a name be as legendary as Martin Scorsese. Thus, if you combine these two juggernauts for a project, a film truly unique might be a guaranteed result.
Alas, just like many one-of-a-kind ideas, this too never came to fruition, which is a serious upset since this would’ve given the world a better insight into the life of Dean Martin, one of the five iconic members of the Rat Pack. The one who would’ve been portraying the legendary singer and actor in the film would’ve been the Saving Private Ryan star, who was so impressed by the script that he wanted to do the film at any cost.
In a past interview with The New York Times, Hanks opened up about this proposed project and praised it for what it had to offer, saying:
“I didn’t see Dean Martin as being the cynical presence in the Rat Pack. I think he’s the only one who got it. Dean Martin was not into any of the show-business razzle-dazzle except for the way it gave him a degree of ease and enjoyment that he wanted because he grew up so hardscrabble. He said, ‘Pally, there’s got to be an easier way,’ and he discovered what that way was. There’s a great story about Dean Martin”
But to his disappointment, the film never took the shape that the Killers of the Flower Moon director wanted.
What Was Road To Perdition About?
Hanks was so enamored by the story of Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition that he declined Scorsese’s offer to become part of his critically acclaimed film Gangs of New York.
Road to Perdition is a film based on a graphic novel of the same name created by Max Allan Collins and tells the tale of Mike Sullivan, an enforcer for a Depression-Era mobster John Rooney. The bond that these two share is not something that Rooney’s son Connor appreciates, which is why he murders Sullivan’s wife and youngest son.
Now, with only his older son Michael by his side, both harboring hatred and thirst for revenge, embark on a journey of vengeance and exploration of oneself along the way.
Road to Perdition, streaming on Paramount+.
