Tom Hanks and ‘Greyhound’ Crew Talk Difficulties and Rewards of the Memorable Production Process

Today Tom Hanks and crew members of 2020 Apple TV+ release and possible Oscar contender Greyhound assembled for a virtual panel Q&A hosted by America Cinematheque. Hanks, as the writer and star of the film, was highly involved in the production and discussed the experience with the director Aaron Schneider, cinematographer Shelly Johnson, and costumer designer Julie Weiss.

The film follows Navy Commander Krause (Hanks), who was known for his accomplishments in the arduous Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. The story is adapted from the novel The Good Shepherd by C.S. Forester, which Hanks claims took him six years to adapt.

In the interview, the group highlighted the difficulty of filming such intense war scenes without many physical reference points during production, as no actual filming took place at sea. Director Aaron Schneider explained how “the entire world, the battles, the tactical scenarios, the thrill aspects, that are all going on out there don’t exist, and won’t, by the way, until we get into post-production,” which provided a wide range of difficulties.

Cinematographer Shelly Johnson talked working with Schneider in a confined space during production, lending itself to capturing a more tense mood, and the decision to use more fluid camera movements to help settle the audience into the naval world of the film.

Costumer designer Julie Weiss discussed the process of adapting historical uniforms for the production. The leather coat that Hanks wears for the majority of the film, she explains, was a key part of the character’s design and took several attempts to perfect. Hanks seconded how perfect the final product was, and voiced how it helped him step into the character.

Each of the production heads expressed joy in working with one another to pull their best work together, and the passion that Hanks brought to the entire project.  The film released on Apple TV+ this past June, and is in the running for possible Oscar nominations. Official nominations will be announced next month.

The entire interview from America Cinematheque can be seen below: