Tom Hanks film Greyhound makes surprise move to Apple TV+
In another drastic shift to Hollywood's theatrical calendar this year, Tom Hanks' World War II film Greyhound has just been acquired by Apple TV+ for a streaming premiere, EW has learned.
Directed by Aaron Schneider (Get Low) based off a screenplay written by Hanks, the title was planned to hit theaters in June through Sony Pictures. It now becomes Hanks' first movie to get a streaming premiere and Apple TV+'s biggest cinematic get so far.
Greyhound stars Hanks as Ernest Krause, a first-time captain who leads allied ships across the "Black Pit" to the front lines of WWII, dodging Nazi U-boats along the way. Elisabeth Shue, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Stephen Graham, and Rob Morgan costar.
Hanks was already developing Masters of the Air, a WWII-set miniseries, with Steven Spielberg for Apple TV+ before the news of Greyhound's streaming move came to light. The entire industry continues to shift — at times, by the day — as its post-coronavirus future remains murky. Productions halted and movie theaters worldwide largely shuttered in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Studios have had to shift theatrical releases to much later in the year, though a few — namely Christopher Nolan's Tenet and Niki Caro's live-action Mulan — remain on the docket for July... for now. Other films, including Artemis Fowl and the filmed version of Hamilton, canceled their theatrical plans to hit streaming or VOD platforms.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also changed its eligibility rules for films in light of the changing theatrical environment. The two-time Oscar-winning Hanks, who's routinely eyed during awards season, already made Greyhound one to watch.
Deadline was the first to report the news.
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