The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: A novel (Unabridged)
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
From the legendary actor and best-selling author: a novel about the making of a star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film...and the humble comic books that inspired it. Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, while also capturing the changes in America and American culture since World War II.
"Wild, ambitious and exceptionally enjoyable." —Matt Haig, best-selling author The Midnight Library, The Humans and Reasons to Stay Alive
Part One of this story takes place in 1947. A troubled soldier, returning from the war, meets his talented five-year-old nephew, leaves an indelible impression, and then disappears for twenty-three years.
Cut to 1970: The nephew, now drawing underground comic books in Oakland, California, reconnects with his uncle and, remembering the comic book he saw when he was five, draws a new version with his uncle as a World War II fighting hero.
Cut to the present day: A commercially successful director discovers the 1970 comic book and decides to turn it into a contemporary superhero movie.
Cue the cast: We meet the film’s extremely difficult male star, his wonderful leading lady, the eccentric writer/director, the producer, the gofer production assistant, and everyone else on both sides of the camera.
Bonus material: Interspersed throughout are three comic books that are featured in the story—all created by Tom Hanks himself—including the comic book that becomes the official tie-in to this novel’s "major motion picture masterpiece."
*Includes a downloadable PDF of the comics from the book and a QR code for access to the original screenplay of Knightshade: The Lathe of Firefall
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This engaging, fun novel offers a realistic depiction of how a movie gets made—and it’s authored by one of America’s most successful actors. Quirky but brilliant director Bill Johnson is clacking away on an antique typewriter as he works on the next big superhero blockbuster. As his project gets underway, we travel back in time to meet the young comic artist named Robby who first created the superhero character after hearing about his uncle’s hellish experiences during World War II. And Tom Hanks is particularly well-suited to tell a story about filmmaking and the impact of the Second World War given his passion for both topics. This book is even more fun to listen to, thanks to a full cast featuring Hanks, actress (and Hanks’ wife!) Rita Wilson, and SNL’s Ego Nwodim, among others. Don’t miss this story of how the creative process reverberates through the generations.