while the book shares the same name as the 2015 film that stars tom hanks, the film is not based on whittell's book. the film is actually based in part on the book "strangers on a bridge" by james b. donovan, a lawyer involved with the prisoner exchanges and played by hanks in the film. both the whittell book and the film are based on the same events, though the book focuses on three prisoners that are part of the exchange process, where the film focuses on donovan himself.