Tom Hanks' WWII Masterpiece Is Officially Taking Over the World Again

Image via Apple TV

Published Mar 25, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT

Makuochi Echebiri is a News Writer for Collider. He has been interested in creative writing from as far back as high school, and he would consume pretty much anything that’s film or TV. However, his truest love lies in the presence of historical epics and thrillers.

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Conflict has a way of changing humans, and World War II had that exact same effect. It transformed the order of the world and, as such, has been subject to hundreds of adaptations, from several viewpoints over the decades. There have been hundreds of productions within Hollywood set in that time period, and Tom Hanks has contributed immensely to well over a handful. The Oscar-winning actor is familiar with that portion of human history, producing WWII-based series like Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and Apple TV’s Masters of the Air, while also starring in some of the biggest WWII movies to date.

Hanks is credited with roles in major World War II feature films like Saving Private Ryan (1998) and A League of Their Own (1992). Prior to working with Apple TV on Masters of the Air as a producer, Hanks had enjoyed a prior relationship with the streamer which stemmed from the 2020 feature film, Greyhound. The naval thriller, which was released straight to streaming on Apple TV in 2020, received a positive reception from critics and audiences, earning scores of 78% and 76%, respectively, on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. The film has gone on to become one of Apple TV’s most popular movies ever, over the years, and it looks set to continue.

In the years since its arrival, Greyhound has had several stints in the Apple TV top 10, as it continues to dominate viewership charts. Greyhound currently finds itself in the Top 10 charts for multiple countries across the globe on the Apple streaming service, just barely missing a spot on the global list with a current ranking at #11. The film was produced on a reported budget of $55 million and directed by Aaron Schneider, and while Hanks was initially discontent that the film went straight to streaming, that stance has softened over the years. The script for the naval thriller was also penned by Hanks.

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'Greyhound' Has More Stories to Tell

Set during World War II, the movie follows Hanks' Ernest Krause, who leads an armada of Allied ships escorting troops through a dangerous stretch of sea. The theater of war shifts to the Atlantic during World War II, and Krause's convoy is being pursued by German U-boats. The critics' consensus on Greyhound on Rotten Tomatoes was positive, and the film has amassed a significant following. It has since triggered a demand for a sequel, and as such, Greyhound 2 has been confirmed to move forward, with filming reportedly beginning in early 2026 in Sydney, Australia.

Schneider is poised to return, as is film producer Gary Goetzman. Hanks will return to script-writing duties as well as reprising his role as Captain Krause. Hanks’ Greyhound co-star, Stephen Graham, has also signed a deal to return for the WWII sequel. This time around, the theater of war shifts from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and audiences will swap German U-boats for kamikaze pilots.