There exists in this world a certain kind of war buff. They are the kind that obsesses over machinery, battlefield layout, and moment-by-moment plans of attack. These wartime aficionados are not necessarily interested in the death or mayhem of war, nor do they concern themselves with causes or wartime morality, but focus on the logistics, the devices, and the more personal or tactile experiences instead. Aaron Schneider's WWII combat drama "Greyhound," written by and starring Tom Hanks and based on the novel by C.S. Forester, was a film specifically for those people. It's what you might call, as /Film did in its review, a dad movie.

While "Greyhound" ostensibly details the combat experiences of Comm. Ernest Crouse (Hanks) and his escort convoy across the Atlantic to break through a Nazi naval blockade, it's really about the ship, a Fletcher-class destroyer called the U.S.S. Keeling, DD-548, with the radio call sign of Greyhound. Not a shot passes without Schneider's camera dwelling on the control panels, buttons, uniforms, and even period-accurate types of pencils that the naval officers used. "Greyhound" is a paean to historical accuracy. If the drama seems a little thin, it's because it's a tertiary concern.

"Greyhound" was released on Apple TV+ on July 10, 2020, having moved onto the service after a COVID-19-related delay.

It was announced in Deadline today that Hanks and his Playtone Company partner Gary Goetzman have signed a multi-year deal with Apple TV+ to make what is essentially an expanded "Greyhound" universe. The deal will include a slew of new programming, including WWII documentaries, unscripted shows, other related TV shows besides, and most notably, a sequel to "Greyhound," one of Apple TV+'s most-watched film debuts.

This will follow other Playtone WWII dramas "Band of Brothers" (2001), its follow-up "The Pacific" (2010), and "Masters of the Air," an upcoming TV miniseries put out by Playtone and Steven Spielberg's production company, Amblin Entertainment, about the Eighth Air Force during WWII. "Masters of the Air" is due out later this year.

The WWII-CU?

The details of a "Greyhound" sequel have not yet been released. The Comm. Krause character did not appear in other C.S. Forester novels, although that doesn't necessarily rule out Hanks reprising the role. Forester is one of the more prolific authors of maritime fiction, and his best-known works include 16 Horatio Hornblower novels and "The African Queen," as well as several nonfiction books like "The Barbary Pirates," "The Voyage of the Annie Marble," and "The Naval War of 1812." It's entirely likely the sequel to "Greyhound" will be an expansion of the Forester film canon.

The Playtone/Apple TV+ deal comes on a wave of success for the streaming service. Its film "CODA" just won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and it is currently broadcasting high-profile shows like "Pachinko." A Tom Hanks-backed series of high-prestige war dramas will only entrench the service all the more in the "dad" consciousness.

So brush off those 1945 ship schematics, memorize your radio lingo, and sharpen your period-accurate pencil. Hanks is going to walk us through the entire war, day by day if he has to.

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