Tom Hanks Reveals Why "No One Knows How to Make a Movie"

Tom Hanks only has four films he believes are “pretty good.” 

After starting his career with He Knows You’re Not Alone, Hanks has become one of the most acclaimed and beloved actors in all of Hollywood. Throughout his four-decade-long career, Hanks has starred in big hits like Forest Gump, Big, Cast Away, Toy Story, and Saving Private Ryan. 

Now, the two-time Oscar-winning actor is expanding on his craft by writing a new novel. 

Hanks announced the release of his upcoming novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, which tells the fictional story of the making of a multi-million dollar superhero film and the comic book creation that inspired it. Although fictional, the book details how a major studio movie is made.  

'Elvis'Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

“No one knows how a movie is made—though everyone thinks they do,” Hanks told People. “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 onscreen, the whole process is a miracle.” 

Hanks acknowledges that only four of his movies meet his standards of entertainment. That isn’t saying that he doesn’t like a majority of the films he has been a part of, but that the process is extremely difficult, and the result doesn’t always justify the final product. 

“Movie-making is very hard work over a very long period that consists of so many moments of joy slapped up against an equal number of feelings of self-loathing. It is the greatest job in the world and the most confounding of labors that I know of.” 

Although Hanks is unlikely to reveal the four films anytime soon out of consideration for his former collaborators that didn’t make the list, we can confidently say that one of the films on his top four list is Forrest Gump, for which the actor paid out of pocket so some of the scenes could be shot.  

Hanks has previously shared that there was an idea for a potential sequel to the iconic film, but the idea was shut down immediately after the success of the first film.

'The Terminal'Credit: DreamWorks Pictures

But the dream of a sequel isn’t completely out of the question. With Top Gunhaving a sequel that debuted 36 years after the first film, Forrest Gump could easily have a sequel that focused on the titular character’s son. 

Hanks, however, added that there is no “obligation” to reprise his famed role despite the current state of cinema thriving off reboots, requels, and sequels. 

“A smart thing I did is I’ve never signed a contract that had a contractual obligation to a sequel,” Hanks said. “I’ve always said, ‘Guys, if there’s a reason to do it, let’s do it. But you guys can’t force me.’” 

Hanks understands that the movie business is difficult, and it is challenging to make something that will be a hit. He believes that there is no exact science to it, but it’s a “natural inclination” that will tell you when you’re doing something right.

What four films do you think are Tom Hanks' best works? Let us know in the comments below! 

Source: People