Apple TV+ has reportedly snagged the global rights to Sony Pictures’ World War II naval drama Greyhound, written by and starring Tom Hanks. Originally scheduled for a U.S. theatrical debut over Father’s Day weekend, the movie, like so many other new releases, was delayed due to COVID-19. But instead of waiting for movie theaters to reopen, Sony offered the flick to the highest bidder: In this case, Apple.
Set in the early days of WWII, Greyhound follows inexperienced Navy Capt. Ernest Krause (Hanks) as he sails across the North Atlantic, leading a convoy of Allied ships being chased by Nazi U-boats. The movie is directed by Aaron Schneider and based on C.S. Forester’s novel “The Good Shepherd”; it also features Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas), Rob Morgan (Mudbound), and Stephen Graham (Snatch).
Greyhound joins a growing list of films getting either a digital release or delayed cinematic launch date. Sony also pushed back tentpoles like Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (expected in January 2021), Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Morbius (coming in March), and Uncharted (scheduled for October). Other studios, meanwhile, are turning to video-on-demand services (Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Hulu) to keep their latest projects on track while cinemas remain closed.
Tom Hanks is, of course, no stranger to novel coronavirus. He and wife Rita Wilson in March tested positive for the infectious disease, presumably contracted on the Australian set of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley flick. The couple followed protocols, remained isolated, and recovered within weeks.
