Ephron, the acclaimed writer-director known for the screenplays to "Sleepless in Seattle," "When Harry Met Sally" and "Heartburn," died at the age of 71 on June 26. She had been at work on the new play about late writer McAlary, who was a columnist for the New York Post and the Daily News. Ephron worked for the New York Post early in her career and wrote about the experience in her final book, "I Remember Nothing."

Hanks, who appeared in Ephron's "Sleepless in Seattle," will make his Broadway debut in the play. His screen credits also include "Philadelphia," "Forrest Gump," "Cast Away," "Saving Private Ryan," "That Thing You Do" and the upcoming film "Cloud Atlas."

Additional casting will be announced.

Tony Award-winning director George C. Wolfe will helm the production that will officially open April 1, 2013. Lucky Guy is taking over the Broadhurst, which was previously the home of the now-scuttled musical Rebecca. A previous report stated that the limited engagement will run through June 16, 2013.

Lucky Guy is characterized as "a new play about the scandal- and graffiti-ridden New York of the 1980s, as told through the story of the charismatic and controversial tabloid columnist Mike McAlary. From his sensational reporting of New York’s major police corruption to the libel suit that nearly ended his career, the play dramatizes the story of McAlary's meteoric rise, fall and rise again, ending with his coverage of the Abner Louima case for which he won the Pulitzer Prize, shortly before his untimely death on Christmas Day, 1998." The Broadway production is produced by Colin Callender, Roy Furman, Arielle Tepper Madover, Roger Berlind, Stacey Mindich, Robert Cole and Frederick Zollo, David Mirvish, Daryl Roth, James D. Stern/Douglas L. Meyer, Scott and Brian Zeilinger, in association with Sonia Friedman Productions and The Shubert Organization.

Tickets go on pre-sale to AmEx cardholders Oct. 20. The general public may purchase tickets beginning Nov. 3 via Telecharge.com.