Tom Hanks wants to return to space. To get himself there, the Apollo 13 star has been working on a script based on Mattel's 1960s toy line Major Matt Mason.

The Oscar winner told The Wrap he's been writing the screenplay with Graham Yost (Broken Arrow, Speed, FX's Justified), with whom he previously worked on From the Earth to the Moon, Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, The Polar Express) would direct Hanks in the film about a group of astronauts on the moon.

In the Mattel line, Mason was joined by Lt. Jeff Long, Doug Davis and Sgt. Storm. While the original toys did include aliens, Yost has said the story is more about survival in space. The project will be distributed by Universal Pictures in the United States, but Hanks and Zemeckis are looking for independent financing.