It’s no secret that Tom Hanks is a bit of a World War II buff. The actor starred in the Oscar-winning Saving Private Ryan, produced the acclaimed mini-series Band of Brothers and The Pacific, and has taken part in numerous documentaries about the war. Now, Hanks is taking on his biggest WWII project to date by starring in and writing the epic film Greyhound.
Hanks based the film on the 1955 novel The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester, which tells the story of the dangerous journey across the North Atlantic that was undertaken by Allied ships in the early days of the United States’ involvement in the war. Hanks portrays Lieutenant Commander Ernest Krause, whose job it is to safely lead 37 ships to the European theatre while avoiding the German U-boats that are hellbent on keeping the Allies from reaching their destination. The story itself is a work of fiction, but it was inspired by the actual convoys that took place during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942.
Although Hanks has been steadily involved with telling WWII stories on TV, as we’ve mentioned, Greyhound actually marks the first time he’s starred in a movie on the subject since Saving Private Ryan way back in 1998. And it looks like his return will make a big splash, literally. The first Greyhound trailer is full of explosive naval battles and some top-notch wartime drama, and Hanks looks to be in top form as the commander of the USS Keeling (AKA Greyhound). Some of the film was even shot onboard the USS Kidd, a WWII-era destroyer that now functions as a museum in Louisiana, adding to the realism. Check out the trailer below.
Greyhound will make its way into theaters on June 12.
