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Tom Hanks Returns to Broadway in 'This World of Tomorrow'
Confirmed
In Short: The production marks Hanks' return to Broadway after a 14-year hiatus, following his Tony-nominated performance in 'Lucky Guy' in 2013.
Tom Hanks and Kelli O'Hara are set to star in the Broadway production of 'This World of Tomorrow,' a time-travel romance written by Hanks and James Glossman.
The play, which had its world premiere Off-Broadway at The Shed in New York City in 2025, will transfer to Broadway in fall 2027.
Director Kenny Leon, who previously worked with Hanks on 'Lucky Guy,' will helm the production.
The story follows Bert Allenberry, a scientist from the year 2089, who travels back to the 1939 New York World's Fair to meet Carmen Perry, the woman he falls in love with.
Producer Brian Anthony Moreland praised Hanks as 'one of the great storytellers of our time,' highlighting the play's exploration of love and time travel.
Kelli O'Hara, a Tony Award winner, will reprise her role from the Off-Broadway run alongside Hanks.
The play's plot is based on several short stories from Hanks' 2017 book 'Uncommon Type,' which imagines a world where the future is shaped by personal choices rather than technology.
The production marks Hanks' return to Broadway after a 14-year hiatus, following his Tony-nominated performance in 'Lucky Guy' in 2013.
The play's opening scene features Bert and his companion Cyndee wandering through the Fair, wearing buttons that read 'I Have Seen the Future,' a nod to the General Motors Pavilion's Futurama ride.
Despite its sweet premise, the play's convoluted storyline has been met with mixed reviews, with some critics finding it reminiscent of classic time-travel narratives like 'Somewhere in Time' and 'The City on the Edge of Forever.'
Background
This World of Tomorrow is a play written by Tom Hanks and James Glossman, based on a series of short stories written by Hanks. It had its world premiere Off-Broadway at The Shed in New York City on October 30, 2025.
What's confirmed
- Tom Hanks and Kelli O’Hara are Broadway -bound in a Fall 2027 production of This World of Tomorrow, a new play written by Hanks and James Glossman.
- “There is something extraordinary about bringing a story that explores the power of love across time to a place where the magic of live theater happens every night,” said producer Moreland.
- More than anything, I look forward to even more audiences who will have the chance to witness the onstage chemistry of Kelli O’Hara and Tom Hanks.” Added Alex Poots, The Shed’s Artistic Director, “A beloved actor of our times, Tom Hanks co-created and starred in This World of Tomorrow with the illuminating Kelli O’Hara for their sold out run at The Shed.
- This marks Hanks return to Broadway after starring in Nora Ephron’s play Lucky Guy in 2013, which earned Hanks a Tony nomination.
What's still developing
- “I’m so excited to continue this work on this amazing new American play,” Kenny said in a statement announcing the Broadway transfer.
- The production marks Tom ‘s first Broadway appearance since making his debut in Lucky Guy, the Nora Ephron play that opened in 2013.
- Academy Award winner Tom Hanks is returning to Broadway in a show he's co-writing.
- Kenny Leon, who directed last season’s The Balusters and the 2025 revival of Othello, is returning to direct the play for Broadway.
- This time, the celebrated actor will be joined by theater veteran Kelli O’Hara, who appeared alongside him in the show’s Off Broadway run last year at the Shed.
- Directed by Kenny Leon, whose recent Broadway credits include “The Balusters,” “Othello” with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, and “Our Town” with Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes, is directing the show.