Greyhound, the World War II battleship drama written by and starring Tom Hanks, will now debut on the Apple TV Plus streaming service instead of getting a theatrical release. According to a report by Deadline, Apple made a successful bid of around $70 million for the movie. Greyhound doesn't have a release date yet on Apple TV Plus, but it's suggested we won't have to wait long to see it.
Originally scheduled to hit the theaters ahead of Father's Day weekend on June 12, because wow it looks like a dad film, you'll now be able to stream Greyhound as part of an Apple TV Plus subscription.
Greyhound is a big swing for the streaming service, and it suggests Apple is getting serious about making acquisitions. A recent report says Apple TV Plus is now in the market for older TV shows and movies. In its first six months, Apple TV Plus has mostly been reliant on high-profile originals, rather than a big archive of content.
In Greyhound, Tom Hanks plays George Krause, an officer commanding 37 ships while being pursued by German U-boats. It's based on a fictional book by CS Forester. The cast also features Stephen Graham, Elizabeth Shue and Rob Morgan in supporting roles.
Why this is a big deal for Apple TV Plus
Apple TV Plus now has a movie starring Tom Hanks to release on its streaming platform, which brings it a certain amount of prestige, and Sony presumably covers the production and marketing costs of Greyhound. It's a win-win for both parties.
So many mid-tier movies have skipped theatrical releases in favor of a VOD release recently, including the recent Tom Hardy movie Capone, the animated Scooby Doo movie Scoob and Trolls: World Tour. This has proved lucrative in some cases, and it gives people new entertainment to watch at a time when they can't go the cinema.
It's less common, though, that these movies have been brought directly to streaming services. Even Disney released the Pixar movie Onward on VOD before dropping the film on Disney Plus shortly after.
Considering Apple TV Plus is just $4.99/£4.99 per month, though, and recent Apple devices come with a year of the service for free, this is arguably a better deal than paying for a theater ticket.
