'Bridge of Spies' Movie: Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks Talk About the Life of James Donovan and That 'Piece of Compelling History'

A lot of people are already heaping praises on Steven Spielberg's new film "Bridge of Spies," which stars iconic American actor Tom Hanks as the charismatic negotiator James B. Donovan during the Cold War.

The way Donovan's story was told, and how he orchestrated the release of fighter pilot Gary Powers, it would seem like Spielberg knows that story by heart. But during an interview with Collider, the director said that it was only a few years ago that he first learned of the story.

"I knew nothing about this story two years go. I knew about Gary Powers because that was big news and it was national news when he was shot down and taken prisoner in the Soviet Union," he said. "I knew nothing about how he got out of the Soviet Union. I knew nothing about Rudolf Abel. I knew nothing about James B. Donovan. That all came to me, as all good stories come to us, in a surprise package."

"There was no brand preceding 'Bridge of Spies,'" he further said. "It was simply a piece of history that was so compelling personally for me, to know that something like this, a man who stood on his principals and defied everybody hating his family for what he thought he needed to do - equal protection under the law for even an alien in this country, even for a Soviet accused spy - that was, to me, a righteous reason to tell this story."

Hanks is also the same way. He had no pre-conceived notion about Donovan, his life, family, and work. But after he heard about what Donovan did to help his country and save lives, Hanks just knew that he had to be a part of "Bridge of Spies."

"When you're coming across the guy who is an awfully good insurance lawyer that then ends up being part of such a momentous six days in history - I'm a selfish actor. I'll lunge at that opportunity, regardless of anything else I've done prior," he said.

Hanks had a wealth of resource materials to prepare for his role as Donovan, since the negotiator wrote "an awful lot about his own life."

"He wrote a book about his experience with Rudolf Abel that goes so in depth into the trial I felt like I was a court stenographer. It just goes on and on and on, this motion and that motion," shared Hanks.