<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $52 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $352.1 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical crime film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson . The film is based on the life of Frank Abagnale, who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor and a Louisiana parish prosecutor . His primary crime was check fraud; he became so experienced that the FBI eventually turned to him for help in catching other checking forgers . The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, and Nathalie Baye in supporting roles . </P> <P> Development for the film started in 1980 but did not progress until 1997, when the film rights to Abagnale's book were sold to Spielberg's DreamWorks . David Fincher, Gore Verbinski, Lasse Hallström, Miloš Forman, and Cameron Crowe had all been possible candidates for director before Spielberg decided to direct . Filming took place from February to May 2002 . The film was a financial and critical success, and was received positively by both critics and Abagnale . </P>

Who is catch me if you can based on