Tom Hanks’ ‘Greyhound 2’ finally gets an exciting update and it's fantastic news for war film buffs
Tom Hanks will return as Commander Krause after an epic Battle of the Atlantic. This time, he leads his men to the Pacific to help turn the tide of the war in the greenlit sequel, 'Greyhound II'. The first film, based on the 1955 novel 'The Good Shepherd' by C. S. Forester, follows a US Navy commander on his first marquee assignment, spearheading 37 ships and thousands of men during World War 2. A gritty battle in the waters against the Nazi U-boats formed the crux of the story.
In 'Greyhound,' Krause is a career officer who is finally given command of a vessel and tasked with protecting a convoy of 37 ships. With each of these containing essential supplies and soldiers, Krause must navigate the treacherous 'Black Pit', an area of the Atlantic Ocean, for five days, fending off and destroying Nazi U-boats in the absence of air cover.
The second film will see Hanks pen the screenplay, with Elisabeth Shue and Stephen Graham reprising their roles from the first film. According to Deadline, 'Robin Hood' star Jack Patten joins the cast. Aaron Schneider returns as the director, and Gary Goetzman serves as the producer. The upcoming instalment sees Krause and the Greyhound crew move from the Normandy beach to the Pacific Ocean to change the course of the battle. At the time of writing, production is underway in Australia.
The first feature was originally slated for a theatrical release but was later delayed and canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. The team opted for a streaming platform release, with Sony selling the distribution rights to Apple TV, opening to positive critical acclaim on June 10, and was nominated for Best Sound at the 93rd Academy Awards.
'Greyhound' went on to become the most-streamed title of the year until November. In fact, Apple reported that the film's debut on the release weekend was the biggest in its release history. Per Rotten Tomatoes, the critical consensus reads, "Greyhound's characters aren't as robust as its action sequences, but this fast-paced World War II thriller benefits from its efficiently economical approach."
Ahead of the 'Greyhound's release, Hanks compared the story's situation to the pandemic that ravaged the country. "As a guy who goes back to World War II again and again, I see a direct correlation to life as it's lived right now," he told EW. "I see the same questions being asked, and I see the same solutions being pursued in stories of World War II, despite them being period pieces, despite them being museum pieces that recreate a world. To me, it's always been about: What would we do if we were in those same circumstances? And guess what? We are in many of those circumstances right now."
At the time of writing, there is no official release date for the sequel. With principal photography and pre-production underway, it will be a while before the streamer offers a first look at what to expect from the second film.
