Universal has tapped mega-star Tom Hanks and semi-indie director Gus Van Sant to bring "How Starbucks Saved My Life" to the big screen, based on a proposal by former executive who, at 60 years old, found himself out of a job and reliant on the coffee house to pay his bills.
Says Variety: "Universal Pictures has made a six-figure acquisition of "How Starbucks Saved My Life" based on a 102-page proposal and attached Tom Hanks to star and Gus Van Sant to direct.
Book, to be published by Penguin imprint Gotham Books, is a memoir by Michael Gates Gill, a former J. Walter Thompson exec who found himself down and out when he was downsized out of a job.
In his 60s and in a personal tailspin because of an affair that ended his marriage, Gill saw his luck change when he entered a Starbucks and walked out with a job offer from the store’s manager, giving his life new purpose.
The proposal slipped out in New York last week, and though the book has yet to be written, several studios felt the story was a blueprint for a film on the timely subject of mature execs who must find a third act when cut loose from their jobs."
—
Plus, hey, if the book/movie turns out to be a massive marketing opportunity between Universal and Starbucks, all the better, right?
