Hanks to Lead Live Action MAJOR MATT MASON Feature

Akiva Goldsman (‘Winter’s Tale,’ ‘Cinderella Man,’ ‘A Beautiful Mind’) is set to handle scripting duty for a feature film based on the 1960s Mattel action figure Major Matt Mason, with Tom Hanks attached to star, Variety has learned.

First introduced by in 1966, Major Matt Mason was an astronaut who lived on the moon. Mason’s crew on the moon base included Sgt. Storm, Lt. Jeff Long, and civilian astronaut Doug Davis. The figures were initially based on design information found in Life Magazine, Air Force Magazine, and other aviation- and space-interest periodicals, but eventually transitioned into the realm of science fiction, introducing alien allies and villains,

Goldsman, who previously worked with Hanks on ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and ‘Angels & Demons,’ will base his screenplay from a short story by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon.

Hanks has long been attached to a Major Matt Mason project. Back in 2011, his frequent collaborator Robert Zemeckis was set to direct the space adventure but the film never made it out of the development stage.