{"id":2432928,"date":"2026-05-26T16:19:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T16:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2432928"},"modified":"2026-05-26T16:19:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T16:19:11","slug":"tom-hanks-reveals-why-he-keeps-taking-on-wwii-projects-25-years-after-band-of-brothers-ive-been-wrestling-with-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/tom-hanks-reveals-why-he-keeps-taking-on-wwii-projects-25-years-after-band-of-brothers-ive-been-wrestling-with-this\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Hanks Reveals Why He Keeps Taking on WWII Projects 25 Years After \u201cBand of Brothers\u201d: &#8216;I&#8217;ve Been Wrestling with This&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Tom Hanks explores his fascination with World War II in a new 20-part documentary History Channel series premiering on Memorial Day<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hanks says the war\u2019s moral questions remain relevant today and reflect current societal challenges<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">His interest in the conflict began as a child after witnessing an emotional reunion between his father and a fellow veteran<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/tag\/tom-hanks\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Tom Hanks;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Tom Hanks&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Tom Hanks<\/a> is opening up about why he keeps returning to World War II stories more than 25 years after co-creating the acclaimed HBO miniseries <em>Band of Brothers<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Speaking with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-features\/tom-hanks-interview-wwii-series-1236601625\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:The Hollywood Reporter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;The Hollywood Reporter&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a> ahead of the release of his new History Channel documentary series <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.history.com\/shows\/world-war-ii-with-tom-hanks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:World War II with Tom Hanks;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;World War II with Tom Hanks&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>World War II with Tom Hanks<\/em><\/a>, the Oscar winner said he\u2019s been reflecting on his continued fascination with the conflict \u2014 and what it says about the current state of the world.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI\u2019ve been wrestling with this just recently,\u201d Hanks, 69, shared. \u201cI\u2019ve been asking myself at nighttime, in those moments of the soul, &#8216;Why do I keep turning to it again and again for that combination of poetry and solace and enlightenment?&#8217; \u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Tom Hanks in &#8216;Saving Private Ryan&#8217;<br \/>Credit: David James\/Dreamworks\/Amblin\/Universal\/Kobal\/Shutterstock<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for<\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/people-news-daily-newsletter-sign-up-8692701\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:PEOPLE's free daily newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;PEOPLE'&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong> PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a><strong> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The actor and producer \u2014 whose World War II r\u00e9sum\u00e9 includes <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/saving-private-ryan-cast-where-are-they-now-6132020\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Saving Private Ryan;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Saving Private Ryan&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Saving Private Ryan<\/em><\/a>, <em>Greyhound<\/em>, <em>The Pacific<\/em> and <em>Masters of the Air<\/em> \u2014 said the answer ultimately comes back to present day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cAnd I divined that it has to be about today,\u201d Hanks continued. \u201cIt has to be more about the palpable choices that we face here in 2026 as opposed to, look what those tough guys did back in the 1930s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For Hanks, the moral questions raised by the war remain painfully relevant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cThe kinds of personal choices that had to be made in World War II were as blatant and as obvious as the difference between freedom and slavery,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were two forces out there that said we are racially superior to anybody else, or we are theologically superior to everybody else, because of what is inside our blood. Is that in existence anywhere today? Well, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The 20-part documentary series, executive produced by Hanks and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham, premieres Memorial Day on the History Channel. The expansive project chronicles every major theater of the war from 1939 through 1945 and was created in collaboration with the National WWII Museum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Elsewhere in the interview, Hanks reflected on how his fascination with the war first began as a child after witnessing an emotional reunion between his father and a fellow veteran in a grocery store.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cI just saw these two men \u2014 they\u2019re gods to you when you\u2019re 10 years old \u2014 and they had a conversation then that was in such deep code that was not unlike moments I\u2019ve heard again and again from an awful lot of veterans, who say, \u201cWell, here\u2019s something you have to understand.\u201d You try to get these guys to talk about their war years, and for a long time, they wouldn\u2019t do it because, <em>Hey, I was just a guy,&#8221;<\/em> he recalled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Even after decades of films, documentaries and television projects centered on the conflict, Hanks noted he still isn\u2019t done exploring the subject.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Asked whether <em>World War II With Tom Hanks <\/em>might be his \u201cfinal word\u201d on the era, the actor laughed: \u201cOh, every time I read a book, I come up with something else I want to option in order to try to turn it into a movie or miniseries.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/why-tom-hanks-keeps-taking-on-wwii-projects-25-years-after-band-of-brothers-11983285\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:People;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;People&quot;}\" class=\"link \">People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEED TO KNOW Tom Hanks explores his fascination with World War II in a new 20-part documentary History Channel series premiering on Memorial Day Hanks says the war\u2019s moral questions remain relevant today and reflect current societal challenges His interest in the conflict began as a child after witnessing an emotional reunion between his father [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2432929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[477337,355338,477336,31190,306358,350685],"class_list":["post-2432928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-emotional-reunion","tag-history-channel","tag-moral-questions","tag-the-hollywood-reporter","tag-tom-hanks","tag-world-war-ii"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Tom-Hanks-Reveals-Why-He-Keeps-Taking-on-WWII-Projects.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2432928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2432928"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2432928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2432930,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2432928\/revisions\/2432930"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2432929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2432928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2432928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2432928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}