Tom Hanks Discusses 'Heartbreaking' Shift of WWII Film Greyhound From Theatrical Blockbuster to Apple TV+ Exclusive

Tom Hanks' WWII drama "Greyhound" is set to premiere on Apple TV+ this Friday, July 10, and ahead of that debut the actor gave an interview with The Guardian discussing the film.

"Greyhound" was originally planned to see a theatrical release this summer, and was repeatedly delayed in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Apple won the streaming rights to the film, and in the new interview Hanks gave his honest opinion regarding the project's shift from big screen theatrical blockbuster to direct-to-streaming film.

But Greyhound has been an especial labour of love for [Hanks], one he sweated over for almost a decade, and it is one of those sweeping war movies that really should be seen on the big screen. So the change in plans has been, he says, “an absolute heartbreak. I don’t mean to make angry my Apple overlords, but there is a difference in picture and sound quality.”

Hanks himself approved of the deal with Apple, so his frustration lies less with ‌Apple TV+‌ than with the overall state of many theatrical releases going directly to streaming platforms. In terms of Hanks' filmography, this marks the first time one of Hanks' starring movies has gone directly to streaming.

Besides acting in the lead role of naval career officer George Krause, Hanks also wrote the screenplay, which is based on the C.S. Forester novel "The Good Shepherd." The film is set during the early days of the United States' involvement in World War II, and follows Krause, who is in command of Navy destroyer Greyhound, as he leads a convoy of Allied ships against an attack by German U-boats.

In another tidbit from today's interview, Hanks notes that "the cruel whipmasters at Apple" asked him to sit in front of a blank wall in his home for the video call with The Guardian.

Apple TV+ is having a similarly negative impact on Hanks’ appearance in this interview. Even though he is in his office, “the cruel whipmasters at Apple” decided the background needed to be a blank wall, presumably so nosy journalists like me wouldn’t spend the whole encounter snooping at Hanks’ bookcases. Against the eerily empty backdrop, he looks, Hanks rightly says, as if he’s in “a witness protection programme. But here I am, bowing to the needs of Apple TV.”

Head to The Guardian to check out the full interview, where Hanks discusses his classic roles in films like Apollo 13 and much more.