Tom Hanks, often dubbed 'Mister World War II' for his extensive involvement in historical war dramas, is expanding his impressive portfolio with a sequel to his 2020 hit, Greyhound. With a filmography that includes iconic works like Saving Private Ryan, as well as producing acclaimed series such as Band of Brothers, The Pacific, and Masters of the Air, and his new HISTORY Channel docuseries World War II With Tom Hanks, Hanks has a deep understanding of depicting the 1939-1945 era on screen.

Hanks recently provided an update on the second Greyhound movie, confirming it has been filmed in Australia. The original film, an adaptation of C.S. Forester’s 1955 novel The Good Shepherd, saw Hanks portray U.S. Navy Commander Ernest Krause. Krause led an Allied convoy across the treacherous Atlantic, constantly pursued by German U-boats, a narrative centered on the intense stress of wartime command.

For the sequel, Hanks revealed a shift in focus to a more profound question: what it truly means to survive. He articulated the thematic difference by stating, “The first Greyhound was all about dealing with the backbone-crushing stress of the job at hand. The second one, what we’re establishing is: What is the difference between surviving and not surviving?” This exploration of survival is inspired by a real-life naval account of a ship that incredibly endured 19 separate bombings in a single morning.

Hanks elaborated on his view of survival, defining it as “perseverance. Survival is behavior and procedure and an all-encompassing faith in the ability to solve one damn thing after another. Isn’t that kind of like life itself?” Hanks is set to return as both writer and star for the sequel. While the full cast for Greyhound 2 is yet to be detailed, the original film featured Stephen Graham as Charlie Cole, Rob Morgan as George Cleveland, Elisabeth Shue as Evelyn, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Lopez, and Karl Glusman as Eppstein. The first Greyhound film is currently available for streaming on Apple TV.