Hanks in box office slump

Not so long ago it seemed that Tom Hanks could do no wrong in Hollywood. In 2000, he had enjoyed seven successive hit films and, with Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford, was one of the biggest box office stars in the business. His two Best Actor Oscars testified to the quality of his films.

But just recently, Hanks has been misfiring. His oddball character in The Ladykillers, his last film, didn’t sit well with his fans and was far from a roaring success.