Tom Hanks' "Greyhound" is heading straight to streaming platform
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20 May – With cinemas worldwide currently still shuttered due to the pandemic, Hollywood studios have started forgoing theatrical releases in favour of premiering straight on streaming platforms.
"Greyhound", written by and starring Tom Hanks, is the latest major title to make such a shift, according to Deadline.
Instead of in cinemas, the war drama film will now be premiering on Apple's streaming service, Apple TV+. There is no release date set for it at the moment but it is expected to be made available soon.
This will be Hanks' first movie that will head straight to streamer, where it is expected to make its premiere in more than 100 countries.
Originally slated for release by Sony Pictures on 8 May 2020 in North American cinemas, it was moved in early March to this 12 June in a delay that was unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when cinemas began temporarily closing down later that same month, this time due to the pandemic, the movie was shelved indefinitely.
"Greyhound", directed by Aaron Schneider, is set during World War II and stars Hanks as Commander Ernest Krause, who is tasked with leading an Allied convoy across the Atlantic during the war. He is given command of a destroyer, nicknamed Greyhound, after a wolfpack of German U-boats pursued them. This leads him to become embroiled in what is now known as The Battle of the Atlantic.
It is not known whether Hanks' other 2020 releases, including "BIOS" and "News of the World", will make a shift to streamers as well.
As for his 2021 Elvis Presley film, "Elvis", the filming was halted back in March when Hanks and wife Rita Wilson tested positive for COVID-19. Last month, the Hollywood couple updated that they have recovered and would be donating their blood for coronavirus research.
