Tom Hanks is basically America’s dad. We’ve grown up with him, from the goofy Splash days to the harrowing beach landing in Saving Private Ryan. But honestly, if you haven’t been keeping a hawk-eye on the trades lately, you might have missed that his recent output is getting... well, weird. And I mean that in the best way possible. He’s leaning into technology and experimental storytelling that has left some critics scratching their heads while longtime fans are just happy to see him still swinging for the fences.
The most recent Tom Hanks movies aren't just your standard Oscar-bait dramas anymore. We're seeing a man who, at 69, is seemingly bored with "normal" and wants to see what else cinema can do.
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The Polarizing "Here" and the De-aging Gamble
If you want to talk about the most recent Tom Hanks movies, you have to start with Here (2024). It’s a trip. It reunited the Forrest Gump "holy trinity"—Hanks, Robin Wright, and director Robert Zemeckis. On paper, it sounded like a guaranteed slam dunk. But instead of a traditional sweeping epic, Zemeckis decided to keep the camera completely stationary for the entire 104-minute runtime.
One room. Hundreds of years.
Hanks plays Richard, and thanks to some pretty aggressive AI de-aging tech, we see him as everything from a rowdy teenager to an elderly man. People got really hung up on the "uncanny valley" look of the younger Hanks. It’s a bit jarring, sure. But if you look past the digital smoothing, the movie is a surprisingly heavy meditation on how quickly time disappears. Critics mostly hated it, calling it a "glorified Zillow ad," but audiences were a bit more forgiving. They appreciated the earnestness. It’s the kind of movie you watch when you’re feeling reflective, maybe with a glass of wine and a box of tissues nearby.
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Wes Anderson and the "Scheme" of Things
Then we have The Phoenician Scheme, which is slated for a May 30, 2025 release. This marks a return to the whimsical, highly symmetrical world of Wes Anderson. If you saw Asteroid City in 2023, you know Hanks fits into Anderson’s quirky dioramas surprisingly well.
In The Phoenician Scheme, Hanks is part of a massive ensemble—think Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Bryan Cranston. The plot is a dark espionage tale involving a strained father-daughter relationship within a family business. It’s going to be stylish. It’s going to be dry. And it’ll likely be the polar opposite of the raw, emotional weight we usually expect from a "Tom Hanks movie."
Woody is Back (Again)
Yeah, they're doing it. Toy Story 5 is officially on the calendar for June 19, 2026.
A lot of people felt Toy Story 4 was the perfect goodbye, but Disney isn’t ready to let Woody and Buzz retire to the attic just yet. Hanks is returning to voice everyone's favorite pull-string cowboy. While details are thin, the buzz is that Andrew Stanton is taking the helm. Whether we "needed" another one is a debate that’ll rage on Reddit for years, but let’s be real: we’re all going to go see it. There’s something comforting about that voice, even if it's coming from a CGI toy.
The "Greyhound" Universe Expands
If there’s one thing Tom Hanks loves more than typewriters, it’s World War II. He’s basically the unofficial historian of the 1940s at this point. After the success of Greyhound on Apple TV+ during the pandemic, a sequel is finally moving forward.
Production is reportedly kicking off in January 2026. This isn't just a "more of the same" sequel, though. Hanks, who is writing the script himself again, is shifting the action from the cold North Atlantic to the Pacific Theater. We’ll see Captain Krause dealing with the aftermath of Normandy and the brutal naval battles near the end of the war. It’s "Dad Cinema" at its absolute peak—professional men being professional in high-stress situations.
Small Cameos and Passion Projects
Don't blink or you'll miss him in Freaky Tales, which hit some screens recently. He plays a video store owner (fitting for a guy who loves analog tech). It’s a small, "blink-and-you-miss-it" role that shows he’s still down to support indie filmmakers and weird projects that don't need to make $500 million at the box office.
He’s also popping up in the documentary John Candy: I Like Me in 2025, paying tribute to his old friend. It’s these smaller moments that remind you why he’s stuck around so long. He actually cares about the industry.
Why These Movies Matter Right Now
There’s a narrative out there that the "movie star" is dead. But looking at the most recent Tom Hanks movies, that doesn't feel true. He’s just evolving. He’s not chasing the Marvel dragon or trying to stay 30 forever (well, except for that de-aging experiment in Here).
- Experimentation over Ego: He’s willing to look a bit "off" in a Zemeckis experiment if it means trying something new.
- Streaming is the New Home: Between Greyhound, Finch, and the upcoming sequel, he’s clearly comfortable with Apple TV+ being his primary platform for mid-budget dramas.
- Legacy matters: Returning to Toy Story or WWII stories shows he knows what his audience wants while he sneaks in the weirder Wes Anderson stuff on the side.
If you’re looking to catch up, start with A Man Called Otto for the classic "grumpy but gold-hearted" Hanks. Then, if you’re feeling brave, give Here a watch. Just go in with an open mind about the CGI. It’s a lot, but the heart is in the right place.
Keep an eye on the 2025 festival circuit for more news on The Phoenician Scheme. That’s likely where we’ll get the first real look at his next big transformation.
Next Steps for the Hanks Fan:
- Watch "Here" on streaming to see if the de-aging tech actually bothers you or if the story wins you over.
- Re-watch "Greyhound" on Apple TV+ before the sequel starts production in 2026 so you're up to speed on Captain Krause’s vibe.
- Set a calendar alert for May 30, 2025 for the Wes Anderson release; it’s going to be the most "un-Hanks" performance in years.