‘Finch’ trailer finds Tom Hanks traversing the apocalypse with trusty dog, robot

Finch Tom Hanks
(Image credit: Apple Original Films)

More than 20 years after Cast Away, the new movie Finch finds Tom Hanks once again making a dangerous journey with non-human companions, though this time he is upgrading from a volleyball (love you, Wilson) to a dog and robot. Finch is an original film from Apple TV Plus, which will premiere the movie exclusively on the streaming service on Nov. 5.

Finch is directed by Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones) with a script by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell. The story takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth, as Hanks’ character Finch lives underground with his beloved dog. To help care for his dog, Finch creates a robot; but he must first teach him about life, love and friendship as they attempt to travel toward safety.

Like Cast Away, Hanks will again be the lone human character for at the very least long stretches of the film. But at least he won’t be talking to an inanimate object, as he has the dog and the robot, Jeff (voiced by Caleb Landry Jones) to play off of.

The trailer for Finch mostly plays up Hanks’ charm and the relationship that he is building with his two compatriots, though we also get a sense of the danger that surrounds them in the vast wasteland the movie is set in. Give the full trailer a watch below.

This is the second movie that Tom Hanks has made for Apple TV Plus. He previously starred in the World War II naval film Greyhound, which premiered on the streaming service during the height of the pandemic. Hanks admitted that he was “heartbroken” over Greyhound not being able to play in movie theaters as well as some general frustration with Apple, but they are continuing in their working relationship at least for the time being amid this changing entertainment landscape. 

While Apple TV Plus is more known for its TV shows at the moment — Emmy-winner Ted Lasso, The Morning Show, See and others leading the way — the streamer is upping its original film output. It has already released Sundance-favorite CODA this year, and in addition to Finch has Swan Song and The Tragedy of Macbeth arriving later this year.

To stream these movies, an Apple TV Plus subscription is necessary. It costs $4.99 per month, though a seven-day free trial is available for new subscribers; there’s also a three-month free-trial available to consumers who purchase a new Apple product, like maybe the new iPhone 13.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.