Advertisement

Tom Hanks reveals 'wildly ambitious' first novel

Tom Hanks at the world premiere of his latest film, a remake of the Disney classic Pinocchio - Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
Tom Hanks at the world premiere of his latest film, a remake of the Disney classic Pinocchio - Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

Tom Hanks, the Hollywood actor, has revealed that he has written his first "wildly ambitious" novel about making a superhero movie spanning eight decades.

The star, 66, has placed his own experiences of the movie industry at the heart of the book entitled, "The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece".

The book, which is due to be published in the US and UK by Penguin Random House on May 9, 2023, focuses on a troubled soldier returning from war, a young boy with an artistic gift, an inspired and eccentric director, a pompous eccentric director, a pompous film star on the rise to fame along with a tireless production assistant.

Hanks told People Magazine: "Every character in the book does something I've experienced while making a movie, as well as discovered a philosophy or learned an important lesson.

"Even the foolish moments are some kind of stunt I've pulled or mistake I've survived."

He added: "No one knows how a movie is made - though everyone thinks they do. I’ve made a ton of movies (and four of them are pretty good, I think) and I'm still amazed at how films come together. From a flicker of an idea to the flickering image on screen, the whole process is a miracle.

Tom Hanks alongside Antonio Banderas in Philadelphia for which he won an Oscar as Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1994 - Columbia TriStar
Tom Hanks alongside Antonio Banderas in Philadelphia for which he won an Oscar as Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1994 - Columbia TriStar

"How long does it take for a movie to get made? Eighteen months? Eighty years? Yes. How many minds are involved in getting a movie made? Just one? One hundred and ninety-seven? Yep. What is the difference between making a ‘good’ movie and making a ‘quite good’ movie? Any professional who claims to know is not a professional."

In reference to Hamlet, he said: "I hope the book captures as much of ‘the accidental judgments and casual slaughter’ that go into a motion picture’s dictum to hold ‘a mirror up to nature’ that I have witnessed (and caused) since I joined the Screen Actors Guild.”

Ailah Ahmed, publishing director of Hutchinson Heinemann, said: "Being able to publish Tom Hanks’s debut novel is a publisher’s dream come true.

“The fact that he has written an epic about ordinary people in a rather extraordinary world, and one that is thoughtful, poignant and hugely entertaining is icing on the cake. “Readers, get ready to fall in love with it!"