Tom Hanks stars in the film not as a sheriff, a bounty hunter, or a farmer, but rather as a journalist who travels from town to town delivering staged readings of the national news.
Paul Greengrass’ News of the World is a film that delivers on much of what audiences have come to expect when it comes to big screen westerns, but if there’s one particular thing that sets it apart it’s the profession of its protagonist.
It’s a fascinating aspect of the movie and one of its great strengths, as the performances fully capitalize on Hanks’ natural charisma, but what makes them even more interesting is that they were apparently a subject of serious debate between the director and star, who fundamentally disagreed on exactly how the news should be delivered.