Fred Rogers seems like the least likely candidate for a biopic. Before his death in 2003, the longtime creator and host of the educational kid’s show Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood retained a reputation free of sex, drugs, and other scandalous ills that usually make public figures so fascinating. Instead, he was the gentle soul of public television, an advocate who once made a moving speech before the Senate in support of quality children’s programming. In a time when the airways are overrun with trashy reality shows and low-brow sitcoms, one project will honor Rogers and his devotion to bringing innocence back to a corrupted medium.
Treehouse Pictures, the production company behind Arbitrage, acquired a spec script for A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, a biographical feature written by Alexis Jolly, according to Deadline. The concept is the first full-length film for Jolly, who works as a staff writer on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Details on the plot are non-existant right now, but Treehouse’s Justin Nappi – who’s producing the film – said that Rogers’ “keen ability to find the good in anyone, or anything, will make for a truly inspiring cinematic experience.” Considering the PBS icon’s success and squeaky clean lifestyle, I’m curious to see what kind of conflict and struggles they manage to inject in the story.
No production or release dates are scheduled for A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, but we’ll keep you posted.
What do you think of the project? Do you think it’s about time they made a biopic about Rogers?