Tom Hanks returns to the seas in World War II for another battle in the Greyhound sequel.
Per Deadline, Hanks will reprise his role as Commander Ernie Krause in the Greyhound sequel for Apple. Aaron Schneider returns to direct from a screenplay penned by Hanks. Gary Goetzman, Hanks’ partner at Playtone, will produce.
The next Greyhound movie will follow Krause and his crew after Normandy as they head to the Pacific Theater to help shift the war in favor of the Allies. Production is expected to start in Sydney, Australia, in January 2026.
Several cast members are currently negotiating to return, including Stephen Graham, who played Lieutenant Commander Charlie Cole. While the deals have not been finalized, Deadline notes that the expectations are “high” that the main cast will return.
In Greyhound, Hanks plays Krause, a Navy veteran who becomes a first-time captain of the USS Keeling, radio call sign “Greyhound.” Greyhound and three other destroyers must escort 37 ships carrying thousands of soldiers through the Black Pit, a treacherous stretch of water leading to England. With no air support and Nazi U-boats lurking, Krause must do whatever it takes to guide these ships across the Atlantic during WWII. The movie was inspired by events during the Battle of the Atlantic.
Hanks, who also wrote the screenplay, starred alongside Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan, and Elisabeth Shue.
Greyhound came at a time when movie theaters were closed during the pandemic. The war movie initially lived at Sony Pictures Releasing under the Columbia Pictures label. Initially slated for a March 2020 theatrical release, Greyhound was delayed multiple times. In May 2020, Apple TV+ acquired distribution rights for around $70 million.
Apple TV+ released Greyhound directly to streaming on July 10, 2020. Greyhound became a significant hit for Apple, as it recorded streaming records for the service.
While it’s not Saving Private Ryan, Greyhound is an underrated war movie with a stoic Hanks at the center. Time will tell if the high streaming audience returns for the sequel.