For Apple TV Plus, this is a special weekend as it brings the brand's biggest movie premiere in the form of "Greyhound", The Hollywood flick stars Tom Hanks, who also is credited as the writer. And the reason it is premiering on an OTT platform is because a theatrical release was impossible due to the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Apple TV Plus launched in November 2019 and has to its credit original TV shows and some movies including Mystic Quest, The Morning Show, The Banker among others. It had premiered Servant, a psychological thriller directed by Academy Award nominated M. Night Shyamalan immediately after launch on November 28.
Hanks, who raised a few hackles by first describing his movie's release on Apple TV Plus as "an absolute heartbreak" because of the quality of sound and picture on the small screen, later clarified that he was thrilled that Apple was making it possible to see the movie, which had released in Belgium on May 6.
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What's the movie about?
The movie is inspired by true events and based loosely on the 1955 book 'The Good Shepherd' by C S Forester where Hans plays commander George Krause, a first time leader, who needs to navigate a fleet of merchant ships carrying supplies across the North Atlantic. The movie traces this journey as the ship and the convoy faces the wrath of German submarines.
Besides Tom Hanks, the movie also stars Stephen Graham, Elisabeth Shue, Rob Morgan, Karl Glusmann, Tom Brittney among others. It has been helmed by Aaron Schnieder whose short film Two Soldiers (2003) won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
How to watch Greyhound
Greyhound is available in India on Apple TV Plus, which is a subscription based streaming video service available for Rs.99 per month in India. It can be shared by up to six people through the Family sharing option. In case you do not have a subscription, you can create one free for seven days.
Of course, if you have purchased new Apple hardware recently (maybe the iPhone SE 2020 or an iPad or Mac), there is no need to pay as you would have received a one-year free trial of Apple TV Plus. Of course, you need to have redeemed it within 90 days of activating the device.
What if I don't want the service?
In case you are tired of managing various OTT subscriptions and aren't really keen on another, there are still ways you can catch Greyhound with your family over the weekend. Apple isn't making the movie available for rent or purchase. So, it is just a matter of signing up for a month at Rs.99, watching the movie and then exiting the deal.
And, what if I don't have an Apple product?
Even so, you can watch the movie. Though Apple TV Plus is available via the app on the iPhone, iPad and the Mac, there is hope in case you have an Amazon Fire device handy. And some of the latest Smart TVs also provide the app built-in and that includes recent models of Samsung televisions.
Watch it on the website
Who’s tuning in to watch #Greyhound this Friday on Apple TV? You know we are! pic.twitter.com/boQn85Mp00July 8, 2020
And if these options are also ruled out, just visit the Apple TV plus website right here. Since the website itself is pretty bare, you would find it easier to access the movie though the experience, as this author found, is way better via the app.
Though the TV app is a bit of a navigational headache due to the various types of shows and external content, finding the Greyhound is pretty easy as that's the name which the app throws up right upfront.
Not surprising, given that Tom Hanks is the biggest Hollywood star and Greyhound the first big-budget movie to premiere on Apple TV Plus.
