A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood writers say "we desperately need" Mr. Rogers in today's cynical world

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood writers Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue explain the long process behind bringing their story of Mr. Rogers from script to screen. At first, Tom Hanks passed on starring as the beloved host but when director Marielle Heller came aboard, he reconsidered and joined. Harpster also believes that Fred Rogers couldn’t exist in today’s “cynical” world even though “we desperately need him.”