Tom Hanks admitted that he wasn’t best pleased that his last movie Greyhound was pulled from the theatrical schedule and sent straight to streaming after AppleTV+ stepped in to secure the distribution rights, but it looks like the beloved actor might have to get used to the idea of seeing his projects heading directly to the small screen now that Netflix have struck a deal to release his upcoming Western News of the World.
The prestige drama from the Bourne franchise’s Paul Greengrass was initially announced for a worldwide debut on Christmas Day, but the sweeping epic will now only hit the big screen in the United States while being made available to Netflix subscribers internationally. This is a deal that works out pretty well for everyone involved, because theater owners still get to distribute an awards baiting movie starring one of Hollywood’s most popular actors, while News of the World will be seen by a massive global audience that otherwise might not have made time in their diaries to catch it at the local multiplex.
The news comes with the caveat that News of the World could become available to rent or buy on VOD just seventeen days after it lands on the big screen, too, which is probably a safeguard designed to ensure that the movie brings in as much revenue as possible.
After all, a lavish period piece spearheaded by Tom Hanks and Paul Greengrass certainly won’t come cheap, and by giving people the best of both worlds, Universal have virtually guaranteed that it’ll be one of the most popular titles of the holiday season regardless of how viewers decide to watch the story of a Civil War veteran taking a young girl on an increasingly dangerous journey back to her family.
