Tom Hanks’ feature film about World War II brought in the largest opening-weekend audience Apple TV+ has netted so far. Even better for Apple, Greyhound reportedly brought plenty of fresh customers to its still-new streaming video service.
Unnamed sources close to Apple leaked to Deadline how well the WWII action movie did. They say weekend viewership was in-line with how many tickets the film would have sold if it had debuted in theaters.
But COVID-19 made an in-theater launch impossible. Hanks said last Tuesday that Apple TV+ “saved the day” by buying the rights.
Sail off with Tom Hanks in Greyhound on Apple TV+
Hanks has been called Hollywood’s top history buff, so it’s no surprise he wrote and stars in a movie set during the mid-20th century. The Cult of Mac review of Greyhound calls it “old-school, flag-waving thrills.” It’s garnering good reviews all around — Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 80% critics score.
Apple’s own synopsis of the war flick says, “Inspired by real events, Captain Ernest Krause (Tom Hanks) leads an international convoy of 37 ships on a treacherous mission across The Atlantic to deliver thousands of soldiers and much-needed supplies to Allied forces.”
Watching this movie requires a $4.99 monthly subscription to Apple TV+, but anyone who recently bought a new Apple device can enjoy the streaming service free for a year. There are currently more than 30 shows or movies available or coming soon.
