‘Finch’: Trailer, release date and everything we know about the Tom Hanks movie

Tom Hanks is coming back to Apple TV Plus with his latest film, Finch. This is the second film that the Oscar-winning actor has made that will have an exclusive premiere on the streaming service, following 2020’s World War II drama Greyhound.

Apple TV Plus has been busy pumping out original TV series, serving as the home of the most recent Emmy-winner for Outstanding Comedy Ted Lasso, as well as other big name shows like The Morning Show, Truth Be Told, See and more. It has been a bit slower with its output of original films, with Finch joining a 2021 slate that already includes CODA and Cherry, and will see the release of Swan Song and The Tragedy of Macbeth before the year is out.

But in terms of Finch, here is everything that you need to know about the film.

What is the plot of ‘Finch’?

An original idea from screenwriters Craig Luck and Ivor Powell, Finch tells the story of a robotics engineer who survives a cataclysmic solar event that has turned the Earth into a wasteland. His lone companion has been his dog, Goodyear. However, as Finch prepares to embark on a dangerous journey, he creates a robot, Jeff, with the purpose of taking care of Goodyear in the event that something happens to him.

Finch must teach Jeff the joys and wonders of life, as well as making sure that he and Goodyear learn to get along.

Who is in the ‘Finch’ cast?

According to Apple TV’s official website for Finch, the call list is pretty short. Tom Hanks stars as Finch, while the only other listed cast member includes Caleb Landry Jones, best known for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Get Out and X-Men: First Class.

IMDb does list additional cast members for the film, including Lora Martinez-Cunningham, Marie Wagenman, Christopher Farrar, Oscar Avila and Kennedi Butler.

This is very reminiscent of a previous Tom Hanks film, Cast Away, where he was the only actor on screen for a good 80% of that movie.

Who is the ‘Finch’ director?

Miguel Sapochnik is the director of Finch. Many TV fans will be familiar with that name, as he was the man behind the camera for some of the biggest episodes of HBO’s Game of Thrones (“Hardhome,” “The Battle of the Bastards,” “The Long Night) and True Detective, as well as a number of other TV series.

Finch is only Sapochnik’s second feature film directing job, having previously directed Repo Men, the 2010 sci-fi film starring Jude Law and Forest Whitaker.

When is the ‘Finch’ release date?

Apple TV Plus has set a Nov. 5 release date for Finch, with it being available exclusively on the streaming service. There are currently no plans to make Finch available in movie theaters. That was a point of contention for Hanks with his last Apple TV Plus film, Greyhound, but that was intended to have a theatrical release prior to the pandemic; that does not appear to be the case with Finch.

As far as what Finch is going up against at least in terms of eyeballs, if not box office, is Eternals, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao and starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Selma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani and Kit Harrington.

Is there a ‘Finch’ trailer?

Apple TV Plus released the first trailer for Finch on Sept. 20. This look at the film previews a charming performance from Hanks as he interacts with his dog and his newly created robot, while also having to deal with the harsh conditions of a post-apocalyptic world. Watch the full trailer below. 

How to watch ‘Finch’

Again, without a theater release, there is only going to be one way to watch Finch upon its release, and that is on Apple TV Plus. With that being the case, an Apple TV Plus subscription is necessary.

Apple TV Plus is available for a monthly subscription fee of $4.99. There is a seven-day free trial available for new subscribers or a three-month trial for those who recently purchased an Apple product (the iPhone 13, an iPad, Mac laptop, etc.).

Once you have your subscription, there are multiple ways to watch Finch or other Apple TV Plus content, including on a streaming device (via Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV or Apple TV), through an app on a smart TV (Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony) on a PlayStation or Xbox gaming console and on Apple mobile devices or computers.