Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2013

As summer winds down in Japan, the capital gears up for the Tokyo International Film Festival in the fall. And the first announced guest for the 26th edition is a big one. Tom Hanks will attend the fest, his first visit to Japan since coming to promote Angels and Demons in 2009. On this visit, the two-time Oscar winner will present TIFF’s opening film, Captain Phillips. The multi-layered thriller is closely based on the true story of a Boston-born merchant marine who fought to save his crew after his cargo ship was taken over by Somali pirates. Although the film has yet to be screened anywhere, it is already generating some award buzz around Hanks. Boston Magazine has praised the actor for pulling off an authentic Bostonian accent in the trailer. Director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum) recalls that at the end of the demanding 12-week shoot on open seas, the cast and crew gave Hanks an intense round of applause. “A huge appeal for me with this project was working with Tom and we just hit it off,” Greengrass told the Film Society at Lincoln Center “He’s just such a brilliant actor and collaborator.”

The Tokyo International Film Festival runs October 17-25. http://tiff.yahoo.co.jp/2013/en/