It almost seems like there was a predetermined limit to how many Tom Hanks movies we could crown the king of dad-driven content during the pandemic. While Hanks starred in several films that fit the bill, only the World War II action film Greyhound has emerged as a real breakout hit. The movie remains a landmark hit for Apple TV; the streamer picked up distribution rights to the film after Sony was forced to abandon it because of the restrictions imposed on theaters. The studio and Hanks made good only a couple of years later, with A Man Called Otto — a movie that many forget, but it grossed over $100 million worldwide. There was, however, one more film aimed at older male audiences that Hanks starred in during this time, and that film is now coming to a new streaming home.
On paper, the movie had everything — topical themes, a stoic protector as its protagonist, and positive reviews. More than anything else, it was a Western. The genre had only recently been revitalized by Taylor Sheridan, whose Yellowstone was already a success. In fact, only a year after the release of Hanks’ Western, Sheridan delivered the sprawling Yellowstone prequel series 1883. Both projects shared several similar themes. The film in question was released theatrically in the domestic market at the end of 2020, and on Netflix internationally a few months later in 2021.
Tom Hanks’ Western Is Waiting To Be Discovered by All the Dads in the World
The movie is News of the World, in which Hanks plays a former soldier who goes from town to town reading news stories to a paying audience. Along the way, he is pulled into a dangerous rescue mission when a young girl is kidnapped. The movie earned excellent reviews and four Oscar nominations, and grossed $12 million against a reported budget of $38 million. Directed by Paul Greengrass, News of the World holds a “Certified Fresh” 88% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “News of the World takes a slow but absorbing ride down a comfortingly familiar Western trail, guided by Tom Hanks in peak paternal mode.” The movie also featured newcomer Helena Zengel alongside Deadwood veteran Ray McKinnon and Hatfields & McCoys alum Mare Winningham.
News of the World will debut on Peacock on March 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
