Tom Hanks has starred in some of the best movies ever made during his long Hollywood career. However, one of his more recent movies left the two-time Oscar winner “heartbroken” on its release. That was the intense 2020 World War II movie, Greyhound, which was released on Apple TV in June 2020. Almost five and a half years later, the film is back in the streamer’s Top 10, proving that great movies continue to draw audiences years after their release.
It was the streaming release of Greyhound that caused Hanks some sadness, though. While there are many movies that now become streaming exclusives – even if they sometimes get a two-week limited cinema release in the name of Oscar qualification – Hanks was not happy at his war movie being one of the first, as he believed that it really needed to be seen in cinemas. In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Hanks said the switch from a planned theatrical release to streaming one was “an absolute heartbreak.” He added:
“I don’t mean to make angry my Apple overlords, but there’s a difference in picture and sound quality that goes along with [switching from the cinema to TV]”
Hanks clearly did not have too much beef with Apple. As well as delivering the post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie Finch in 2021, it was announced earlier this year that Greyhound is getting a sequel, with Hanks expected to return to his role as Commander Ernie Krause.
‘Greyhound’ Is Exactly the Kind of Movie Apple TV Delivers
While other streamers are built on libraries of content created by others and licensed for a limited period, Apple TV has built a foundation on exclusive shows and movies that cannot be found anywhere else. Greyhound was just the kind of quality movie that the platform has become known for, even if that strategy has not always been profitable.
Greyhound holds almost equal 78%/76% scores from critics and audiences, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes, and although some people criticized the lack of character development, its fast-paced action sequences were enough to make it a highly recommended addition to the genre. It also benefited from a sterling cast, which, along with Hanks, included Adolescence’s Stephen Graham, Elisabeth Shue, and Rob Morgan. The film’s full synopsis reads:
“U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ernest Krause is assigned to lead an Allied convoy across the Atlantic during World War II. His convoy, however, is pursued by German U-boats. Although this is Krause’s first wartime mission, he finds himself embroiled in what would come to be known as the longest, largest and most complex naval battle in history: The Battle of the Atlantic.”
There have been no details on exactly what the second movie’s plot will be, but Graham is expected to return along with Hanks, and director Aaron Schneider will also be back to helm the sequel. The film was originally given the green light back in 2022, but earlier this year finally seemed to be getting the wheels moving. However, it is likely that we will not see the movie for a while yet, but when we do, Hanks will likely be campaigning for it to get a decent run in theaters unlike its predecessor.
- Release Date
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July 10, 2020
- Runtime
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91 minutes
- Director
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Aaron Schneider