Tom Hanks Says He's Only Made Four 'Pretty Good' Movies

The 66-year-old two-time Oscar Award winner told People he believed he's made about four movies he thinks are "pretty good" despite his illustrious career while discussing his first novel, "The Making of Another Major Motion Picture."

"No one knows how a movie is made — though everyone thinks they do," the Oscar winner said. "I've made a ton of movies (and four of them are pretty good, I think) and I'm still amazed at how films come together. From a flicker of an idea to the flickering image on-screen, the whole process is a miracle."

Hanks revealed that his novel "The Making of Another Major Motion Picture" was inspired by his sense of wonder with the filming making business and the important lessons he's picked up within his decades long career.

Per the novel's official synopsis, the book will explore the intricacies of making a "colossal, star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film and the humble comic book that inspired it."

"Every character in the book does something I've experienced while making a movie, as well as discovered a philosophy or learned an important lesson. Even the foolish moments are some kind of stunt I've pulled or mistake I've survived," Hanks shared.

The novel will span several decades and highlight how much American culture has evolved since World War II. Part of the novel will begin in 1947, and a soldier who returns from battle will become the subject of admiration for his  5-year-old nephew. The young artist inevitably grows up to draw comic books with a character inspired by his heroic uncle in 1970.

The graphic novels will eventually be adapted into a motion picture, and will transition into a present day movie set, which is where readers will be able to read about the events inspired by Hanks own experiences

Characters include an "extremely difficult" male actor and a "wonderful" lead actress, in addition to an "eccentric" director, producer, production assistant and other quirky crew members.

The book will even feature the comic books that are written by Hanks and illustrated by Robert Sikoryak and will appear throughout the novel.

"The source for a movie can go back as many years as are in history. A story turns on a single moment in the life of someone, then all the anecdotes of the current day magnify that moment," he explained. "Going back to 1947 makes sense, as would have starting in, say, 1559. Human yearning has proven to be timeless."

"The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece" will be released on May 9, 2023.