Joan Allen has been set to star and Lasse Hallstrom to direct Hachiko, A Dog’s Story, a remake of the Japanese film about an Akita’s relationship with its owner.
Richard Gere had already been set to star in and produce the film, says Variety.
The Stephen P. Lindsey script is based on the true tale of a faithful Akita dog that kept vigil for nearly a decade, waiting for his master, who died and didn’t return home. The dog is celebrated by the Japanese each year, and a statue was erected in his honor in Tokyo.
Gere plays a college professor who takes in the dog.
Production will begin in January in Rhode Island.
