Apple TV+ has secured the rights to the upcoming World War II film Greyhound which was written by and stars Tom Hanks. The film was originally scheduled to debut in theaters and normal distribution channels by Sony Pictures, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in plans.
As reported by Deadline, Sony Pictures originally acquired the world rights to Greyhound and had plans to release it in theaters on May 7. That release was delayed until June 19 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sony ended up scrapping the release entirely as it became clear the pandemic would have a lasting effect on the theater industry.
From there, various streaming services started bidding for the rights to the film, and secured the deal in the range of $70 million:
There is currently no word on when Apple TV+ will premiere Greyhound but Deadline speculates it will be sooner rather than later. This will mark the first time that a Tom Hanks film will debut exclusively on a streaming service:
You can read more about the “Greyhound” film here. Just yesterday, Apple inked a seven-figure deal for a new docuseries for the McMillions team. Other upcoming releases include the animated musical comedy series Central Park on May 29 and the Dear… docuseries on June 5.
Read more:
- Apple TV+ Guide: Here are all the Apple TV shows and movies available now
- Apple TV+ to debut ‘Dads’ documentary film on June 19, ahead of Father’s Day
- HBO Now app removed from 2nd and 3rd-gen Apple TV as HBO ends support
- Bloomberg: Apple TV+ tops 10 million subscribers, company buying TV show and movie back catalog to expand service
