As I had long suspected, Tom Hanks’ upcoming drama, “Greyhound,” is going from a theatrical premiere to a straight-to-streaming Apple TV+ debut.
According to Deadline, Apple TV+ bought the distribution rights to Hanks’ upcoming film, “Greyhound,” for $70 million. The Father’s Day theatrical release aligns very well with the film’s demographic. I’m sure AMC and Regal are not happy about this.
“Greyhound” is directed by “Get Low” filmmaker Aaron Schneider and is based on a script by Hanks himself, who also stars in the WWII drama. The film is based on the life of George Krause and his ship The Destroyer as he commands it during the Battle of the Atlantic.
“Greyhound” was originally filmed in 2018 and scheduled for release in May 2019. The film was eventually delayed until May 2020 and then June 12, 2020. Sony was in a bit of a pretzel with this film as delaying it any further would be toxic for a film that was shot nearly 3 years ago. Apple TV+ are desperate to compete with Netflix, which has had a superb few months during the pandemic, but is this Tom Hanks film the answer? It all depends on the quality of the film. One suspects Apple has seen the film and has confidence in its ability to perform well with audiences — however, desperate times call for desperate measures, so who knows.
Still no distributor for "Bucking Fastard," "Alpha Gang," "The Last Photograph," "Closing Night," and "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd." The issue seems to be quality more than a lack of willingness to buy.