It says something when a film enters into an already crowded genre, but doesn't just fit in nicely, it ends up becoming the defining film of that genre. When people think of World War II movies, chances are they'll think of this one, because of the beginning, the middle, and the end. Yep, the whole thing is perfect, it's a masterpiece, and it's a sin if you've never seen it.

While it could happen in any genre, there's something special about a beloved book making its way to the screen. From Netflix's latest A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, which just released Season 2, to Project Hail Mary, which became a sci-fi sensation after its cinematic release on March 20, 2026, book adaptations have become prime source material in Hollywood. After all, not only do they ensure a more fleshed-out story with layered, complicated characters, but they usually come with a wave of loyal readers eager to see the story come to life too.

There's an almost ceaseless fascination with World War II, a time when there were clear definitions of who were the good guys and who were not, when nations put aside their differences to unite against a common enemy. It's a period in history, on History, that Tom Hanks is currently revisiting the conflict in a 20-part documentary series, World War II with Tom Hanks. It's also the latest in a string of projects the venerated actor has been involved with, perhaps none as famously as Saving Private Ryan. He would follow that up a short three years later as executive producer, alongside Saving Private Ryan's Steven Spielberg, with the best HBO war miniseries of all time: Band of Brothers, an uncompromising account of World War II through the eyes of "Easy Company." 25 years later, it's still surging on streaming.

Few movie stars have had as successful of a career as Tom Hanks, and although he’s now almost 70 years old, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Hanks can be seen narrating the new WWII series, World War II with Tom Hanks, which is blowing up on streaming around the world after a successful premiere. Hanks also executive produces the show, which he also did for the Apple TV World War II series, Masters of the Air (co-starring Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan). Hanks has plenty of experience with the World War II genre, and not just with the obvious Steven Spielberg collaboration, Saving Private Ryan. Back in 2020, Hanks headlined one of the biggest Apple TV movies of all time in Greyhound, which was such a success that the studio is hard at work on a sequel.