Tom Hanks isn’t worried about changes to the movie industry

Warner Bros’ recent decision to release its entire upcoming slate of movies onto HBO Max at the same time as in cinemas has caused a seismic shift across the film industry.

The likes of Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve have openly attacked Warner Bros and other studios that have seemingly turned their focus to streaming services. It turns out that Tom Hanks isn’t quite as upset about this change, telling Cinema Blend that it has been on the cards for a while.

Watch: Tom Hanks on his COVID recovery

Hanks says that while COVID-19 has accelerated this process, he believes that viewers will still be able to get a similar experience on a “pretty good widescreen TV they have at home” as they do in cinemas.

Read More: Warner Bros 2021 streaming move: How does the HBO Max decision affect the UK?

He then recalled how he originally watched David Lean’s Bridge Over The River Kwai, which he regards as “one of the greatest motion pictures” he has ever seen, on a small black and white television, with commercials, and split over two nights.

“It was as primitive a display as possible … That didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Now of course with Netflix and other streaming services, we have the ability to sit and watch a movie anytime we want to on our couch.”

“If the movie is really great and engaging, you can still come away from that experience thinking that was one of the greatest motion pictures I’d ever seen. I experienced that just recently with Chernobyl.”

Read More: Warner Bros to release 2021 films on streaming service and in cinemas on same day

Of course, Chernobyl is a TV series, but you get Hanks’ point.

It should also be pointed out that Hanks was always likely to defend Hollywood’s decision to pivot to streaming since his upcoming movie, News Of The World, has been made by Netflix.

The Paul Greengrass directed Western, which tells the story of a widowed Civil War veteran who agrees to deliver a girl across the United States, will be released onto the platform on December 25.