Tom Hanks and Keanu Reeves release their first novels

Friday 02 January 2026 - 11:00

By: Sahili Aya

Tom Hanks and Keanu Reeves release their first novels

After successful careers on the big screen, actors Tom Hanks and Keanu Reeves are entering the literary world with the release of their first novels in French at the beginning of 2026, offering two very different storytelling approaches.

Tom Hanks, best known for iconic roles in films such as Forrest Gump and Apollo 13, pays tribute to cinema in his novel The Making of a Cinematic Masterpiece. The book, set to reach French bookstores in mid-January, follows the chaotic production of a high-budget superhero film and explores the behind-the-scenes reality of the movie industry.

According to publishers, the 69-year-old actor offers an insider’s perspective on the artistic, technical, and human challenges involved in bringing a major film project to life. The novel blends fiction with the author’s long experience in Hollywood.

Keanu Reeves, meanwhile, turns to science fiction in The Book from Elsewhere, co-written with British author China Miéville. The novel follows the journey of an immortal warrior and expands the universe of BRZRKR, a comic series Reeves previously co-created and wrote.

These releases are part of a broader wave of Anglo-Saxon fiction translated into French for the January literary season. Other notable titles include new works by American novelist Gabriel Tallent, Booker Prize-winning author David Szalay, and British writer Anna Hope.

The diversity of genres and voices highlights the continued influence of international literature on the French publishing scene, with well-known cultural figures increasingly crossing boundaries between film, music, and writing.