Tom Hanks will co-write and star in a new off-Broadway production titled The World of Tomorrow, set to run from October through December at the Griffin Theater in New York’s The Shed.
Adapted from his own short stories, the play features Hanks as a future-dwelling scientist who journeys back in time to the 1939 World’s Fair in Queens, reliving the same day in search of true love.
“In a venue as distinct as The Shed, telling a story about longing, love, and the ways the past continues to shape the present feels like a rare opportunity—one that echoes the uniqueness of the 1939 World’s Fair itself,” Hanks said in a statement. He’s collaborating on the script with writer and director James Glossman, while acclaimed director Kenny Leon, known for his recent Broadway revival of Othello starring Denzel Washington, will helm the production.
Leon expressed excitement about the project: “Watching Tom lead the cast through this journey—where time, memory, and love all intersect—will be an unforgettable experience. The play’s mix of humor and emotional depth makes it a perfect fit for the Griffin stage.”
This marks Hanks’ return to the stage following his Tony-nominated performance in Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy in 2013. The two-time Academy Award winner—honored for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump—was most recently seen in Robert Zemeckis’s Here, and he’s set to appear in Wes Anderson’s upcoming The Phoenician Scheme as well as reprise his role as Woody in Toy Story 5.
