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New photos of Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers will give you all the feels

Hanks is, of course, a total shoo-in for the role.
/ Source: TODAY

It truly is a beautiful day in the neighborhood now that we're getting glimpses of Tom Hanks as the beloved Mister Rogers.

The new photos from "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" feature Hanks in a classic Fred Rogers get-up on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood": a red cardigan and khaki trousers.

Tom Hanks stars as Mister Rogers
Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers in "'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood."Lacey Terrell / Tristar Pictures

In the first picture, Hanks is caught in a mid-shoe swap, the signature move Rogers always performed after walking into his on-set home at the top of the show. Rogers would sit down to change from his more formal shoes to sneakers, all while singing his "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" song.

Matthew Rhys (Pending);Tom Hanks (Finalized)
Hanks as Mister Rogers, with Matthew Rhys as journalist Tom Junod in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood."TriStar Pictures

In the second photo, Hanks is shaking the hand of Matthew Rhys, who plays journalist Tom Junod in the movie. Rhys' character is a cynic, but we suspect by the end of the film he'll have been won over by Rogers' charm.

"A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" is the upcoming film from director Marielle Heller, who also directed "Can You Ever Forgive Me?" and focuses on the beloved children's show host who fought for public television and advocated for children to be heard. In recent years, Rogers, who would have been 91 years old on March 20, has been lauded for his forward-thinking wisdom and gentle nature.

Rogers died in 2003 at 74.

We've seen one other photo so far of Hanks as Rogers, released last September, where he is sitting on the edge of a trailer. Now, it's nice to see him in his actual, well, neighborhood!

The film was shot in and around Pittsburgh, which was Rogers' home for much of his life. He was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1928 and started working at WQED, the local public television station in Pittsburgh, where he created the Neighborhood of Make-Believe sketch.

The real Fred Rogers in this 1996 publicity photo on the set of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
The real Fred Rogers in this 1996 publicity photo on the set of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."AP

"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" ran for 31 seasons and ended in 2001. Last year, a documentary, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" reminded us yet again of what a national treasure he was.

As "Neighbor" filmmaker Morgan Neville told TODAY in 2018, "The stereotype of Fred Rogers is he's a two-dimensional milquetoast who spoke in warm bromides, but the reality is he was a man of iron will on a mission to fight for goodness."

We're already getting the warm fuzzies at the chance to be Mister Rogers' neighbor one more time.