When it comes to actors who are both respected and beloved by the entire world, it is impossible not to think ofTom Hanks, who has managed to amaze both audiences and critics throughout his career playing an enormous amount of roles across all film genres. This industry icon became interested in theater as a teenager, and after appearing in a few school plays, he decided to pursue an education at Chabot College and California State University, culminating in a three-year internship at the Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland, Ohio. By then, Hanks was quite sure of what he wanted to do with his life, and decided to move to New York City to pursue a career as an actor, making his debut in the 1980 slasher filmHe Knows You’re Alone.
Throughout the 1980s, Hanks appeared in TV productions such asBosom Buddiesand films likeSplashandBigthat made him a force to be reckoned with by the next decade. This was only strengthened in the 1990s by his performances inSleepless in Seattle, one of the many rom-coms he starred inalongside Meg Ryan,A League of Their Own,andForrest Gump, a movie that, to this day, remains among the most successful ones in his career. Eventually, Hanks launched his directorial career withThat Thing You Do!, a 1996 comedy that wasn’t particularly successful at the box office, but gained worship as a cult film over the years.
From then on, he continued to work as an actor, producer, writer and director in several film and television productions. Amonghis many popular films, we can highlightSaving Private Ryan,Catch Me If You Can,andToy Story, the animated franchise in which he plays Sheriff Woody. Still, it is very hard to highlight productions in the career of an actor who excels in each and every one of the projects he takes part in.
Currently, Hanks remains as active as ever in the industry. His most recent film role so far was in Wes Anderson’sAsteroid City, which hit theaters last June. Here’s a look at his new and upcoming projects.
Masters of the Air — Late 2023
Besides having several films in the pipeline for the near future, Hanks will also be involved in an ambitious TV project: the miniseriesMasters of the Air, which will mark a new collaboration between him and Steven Spielberg. Hanks and Spielberg worked together on films such asSaving Private RyanandCatch Me If You Can, as well as the 2001 and 2010 war drama miniseriesBand of BrothersandThe Pacific.
Masters of the Airserves as a sequelto these two miniseries, and it will have Hanks and Spielberg serving as executive producers along with Gary Goetzman. This production based on Donald L. Miller’s book follows a group of pilots of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and has Cary Joji Fukunaga serving as director with John Orloff penning the script. Austin Butler leads the cast joined by Barry Keoghan, Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle and Nate Mann.Masters of the Airis set to hit Apple TV+ in late-2023.
Here — TBD 2024
Hanks and Robert Zemeckis have worked together on several films over the years, most notablyForrest GumpandCast Away, two of the greatest classics in the actor’s repertoire. The upcoming filmHerewill marka new collaborationbetween the two, and it will also reunite Zemeckis with screenwriter Eric Roth as well as Hanks and Robin Wright on the silver screen after nearly 30 years of working together onForrest Gump.
This drama film due in 2024 is based on Richard McGuire’s graphic novel and follows the many people who inhabited one room in different time periods ranging from the past to the future. Besides Hanks and Wright, the cast features Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly, and Michelle Dockery.Hereemploysde-aging and face-swapping technologyfrom pioneering tech company Metaphysic that is set to revolutionize the future of the film industry.
Related:10 Major Roles Tom Hanks Turned Down or Didn’t Get
In the Garden of Beasts — Release Date TBD
Joe Wright is a filmmaker known for productions such as 2005’sPride & Prejudice,Anna Karenina,andDarkest Hour, and he is set to helmIn the Garden of Beasts, the film adaptation of Erik Larson’s 2011 bookIn the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin. This piece follows the real story of William Dodd, a professor from Chicago who became the American ambassador to Germany just before the rise of Hitler and Nazism, and chronicles the time he spends with his family in Berlin from his very first days there until he finally realizes Hitler’s sinister plans.
There is still not much information about the film adaptation of this book, but we do know that Hanks and Gary Goetzman will join Wright as producers. As yet, it is not clear if Hanks will serve as a cast member or not, but certain rumors indicate that he may also play Dodd.
Related:Tom Hanks Says AI Will Have Him Acting After Death
Major Matt Mason — Release Date TBD
Earlier this year, the toy company Mattel had everyone talking thanks to Greta Gerwig’s landmark live-action movieBarbie, which became a global phenomenon like no other. It appears that, in the near future, another ofthe company’s iconic toyswill have its own film: we are talking aboutMajor Matt Mason, an action figure introduced in 1966.
Matt Mason is an astronaut who lives and works on the moon, and rumors about a movie featuring this character first started in 2011 and onlygot confirmed in 2019. Hanks is expected to star in and co-produce the film along with Akiva Goldsman, who will also serve as co-writer with Michael Chabon. As of now, there is not much information regarding this production nor a tentative release date for it.
