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The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece

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The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece

By: Tom Hanks
Narrated by: Tom Hanks, Peter Gerety, Natalie Morales, Ego Nwodim, Nasim Pedrad, Connor Ratliff, Holland Taylor, Rita Wilson, Full Cast
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Brought to you by Penguin.

A wildly ambitious story of the making of a colossal, star-studded, multimillion-dollar superhero action film, and the humble comic book that inspired it all.

Spanning 80 years of a changing America and culminating in the opening of the film, we meet a colourful cast of characters including a troubled soldier returning from war, a young boy with an artistic gift, an inspired and eccentric director, a pompous film star on the rise, a tireless production assistant and countless film crew members that together create Hollywood magic.

Funny, touching, and wonderfully thought-provoking, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece offers an insider's take on the momentous efforts it takes to make a film. At once a reflection on America's past and present, on the world of show business and the real world we all live in.

This audiobook features 15 narrators, including Rita Wilson, other character backstories performed by Peter Gerety (Charlie Wilson's War, The Wire), Natalie Morales (Dead to Me, Language Lessons), Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live), Nasim Pedrad (Chad, Saturday Night Live), Connor Ratliff (Dead Eyes, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Holland Taylor (The Practice, The Morning Show). Additional parts are performed by Frankie Corzo, Hillary Huber, David Lee Huynh, Sean Patrick Hopkins, JD Jackson, January LaVoy, and Oliver Wyman.

Interspersed throughout the book are three comic books featured in the story. This audiobook contains downloadable PDF of the comics from the book and a QR code for access to the original screenplay of Knightshade: The Lathe of Firefall.

© Tom Hanks 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

 Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Funny Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

Affectionate and endlessly entertaining. Hanks writes with such tenderness about human connection and the magic of the movies (Richard Osman)
With a unique insight and a rare eye for detail, Tom Hanks delivers a stunning, emotionally satisfying tale about the art of storytelling. I never wanted the lights to come up. I could not put it down (Graham Norton)
THE MAKING OF ANOTHER MAJOR MOTION PICTURE MASTERPIECE is its own universe, complete with a sun, a cast of circling planets, and a limitless number of stars. Its gravity pulls you in and its far reaching, multi-layered, rollicking exuberance holds you in place. I would have been happy to live inside this book forever (Ann Patchett)
A proper literary belter
An extravagant, buoyant, joyfully sprawling book, bursting with affection for its characters, for the intricate lore of the movie business, and for the many ways in which human beings are one another's greatest opportunity (Tana French)
This is a wild, ambitious and exceptionally enjoyable novel. A story about how stories happen, with a swirling kaleidoscope of characters across the best part of a century, and a real beating emotional heart. It has a lot of astute and fascinating things to say about comic books, movies, show business, America and human beings. I loved every page (Matt Haig)
Vibrant, jazzy, witty, snazzily written, with a great sense of time and place, this novel-cum-comic book is one of those rare, unique, pieces of fiction. Loved it (Kate Mosse)
Do you want to go on an adventure? Who doesn't? This was a joy to read in that certain kind of way that only happens when it was a joy to write. Tom Hanks is such a natural storyteller that everything feels like he's telling this story just for you, at a dinner table, and you don't want the night to end (Fredrik Backman)
A heartfelt tribute to movies and the people who make them . . . Lovingly crafted, a wildly entertaining story beautifully told . . . You'll love this book
An impressive debut
All stars
Most relevant
You instantly know and love the characters that Inhabit this movie set.
I found myself cheering for most of them as their lives are changed by the making of a great movie.
It’s an engaging and lovely book, that left me feeling warm inside as I got to know a bunch of decent folk as they went about the business of movies.
I really loved it.

A story that wraps you up like a warm blanket on a winter night

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This was a broader epic than I expected. Not a dry detailing of the motion picture process but detailing the origins of the chosen story and all the characters in the long process of movie production. Nicely imagined tale and engaging, realistic characters no doubt drawn from experience. Well performed.

Detailed epic of story to screen

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This is one of those books that I couldn't wait to listen to--I even turned it on in the middle of the night if I woke up because I wondered what would happen next. I didn't want it to end and I enjoyed every minute of it except for the beginning. To be honest, I found the beginning chapters confusing and I almost returned the book. I am so glad I stuck with it because it got better and better. I loved all the characters who were beautifully written and read. I even enjoyed OKB who was an awful person but really believable and a great counterpoint to all the amazingly nice people in the "cast." I never knew anything about how a movie is made and I found this process absolutely fascinating. As I neared the end of the book I realised why the beginning was important so please do stick with it as you will not regret a millisecond of time you have spent with this title. Well done, Tom Hanks. This is a masterpiece. Will there be a sequel?

Toms Hanks' new book is wonderful

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I listened to the audiobook and I think it’s a must. It’s fun but technical. I think you really need to want to know the ins and out of the film business but if you do, then it’s gripping and 5 star

For the love of cinema…

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Wonderful story, and a really effective way of telling a tale, and making you feel close to a production! I have no idea how realistic the information about how movies are made is, but I felt like I went on a journey the fictional team! I really liked this book! It will be getting recommended a lot!

Loved it! Who knew Tom could write too!

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