It struck me randomly the other day that there are going to be whole generations of children who will have no clue who Fred Rogers was. As a kid, I remember watching Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street back to back. Hell, I learned how to tie my shoes from watching his show. But, sadly, when Rogers died in 2003, he took his legacy with him. What children get now is a cartoon reboot called Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, but it just is not the same.
While there will never be another Mr. Rogers, there is a film being developed about his life. According to Deadline, Alexis Jolly has written a screenplay titled A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD which was purchased by Treehouse Pictures. No other cast or crew have been announced as of yet, but Roger’s story would make for an interesting big screen story.
Producer Justin Nappi had this to say.
“Fred Rogers was such an inspirational man for so many people. His keen ability to find the good in anyone, or anything, will make for a truly inspiring cinematic experience. In literally shaping the world around him to fit into his own unique perspective, he created what is arguably the most influential American children’s television show of all time.”
Actually, in looking through the Wikipedia article on Rogers, he didn’t really seem to have many struggles in his life to reach the success he found on public television. So, while a film would be a nice tribute, I am not sure how cinematic it will be. But, obviously the screenplay was enough to be purchased. Now let us see where it goes.
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