Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, you could argue that no individual in Hollywood has been affected as much as Tom Hanks. Not only did he and his wife, Rita Wilson, both test positive for the virus, the results forced the halting of his highly-anticipated new Elvis film. In addition, his upcoming theatrical release, “Greyhound,” was also affected, being sent to streaming instead of cinemas. So yeah, Tom Hanks has seen his personal and professional life get thrown into chaos because of COVID-19. And you can’t blame the guy for being a bit sad about it.
Speaking to The Guardian, Hanks talked about his tumultuous spring and summer, specifically about how it affected the release of “Greyhound,” which was pulled from the theatrical release schedule and sold to Apple for a reported $70 million. The film will now debut exclusively on the company’s Apple TV+ streaming service. And apparently, Hanks isn’t all that happy with the result.
Hanks said that the move from theaters to streaming is “an absolute heartbreak. I don’t mean to make angry my Apple overlords, but there is a difference in picture and sound quality.”
Unlike most of the films in Hanks’ filmography, the actor has a particularly personal connection to “Greyhound.” His latest feature marks only his third screenwriter credit in films, after “Larry Crowne” in 2011 and “That Thing You Do” in 1996. So, it’s rare for Hanks to take on such a role in a feature and to have that film, such as “Greyhound,” lose its theatrical run just weeks before it was set to debut is obviously a bit upsetting.
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Unfortunately, for Hanks and people who have yet to bow to the “Apple overlords,” “Greyhound” is exclusive to Apple TV+, the new streaming service from the tech company. So, there’s no VOD option to purchase or rent the feature. If you want to see Hanks’ latest war film, you have to subscribe to the streaming platform. And sadly, as far as most reports state, Apple TV+ isn’t the most robust or popular service around right now. So, it’s not like Netflix, where a film gets released to more than 160 million people worldwide. The audience for Apple’s platform is relatively small.
Regardless, the film will be available and you don’t have to brave a movie theater to watch it. “Greyhound” will arrive on Apple TV+ on July 10.