Tom Hanks’ New Play This World Of Tomorrow Divides Critics Off Broadway

Tom Hanks’ new time travel romance This World of Tomorrow has opened at The Shed in New York to sharply mixed reviews, with critics divided over whether the Hollywood icon’s latest stage venture is charming or simply dull.

The play, which marks a high profile off Broadway outing for the two time Oscar winner, stars Hanks as Bert Allenberry, a scientist from the future who travels 150 years back in time to the 1939 New York World’s Fair. There he meets and falls for Carmen Perry, a bookkeeper played by Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara. Entranced by her and by the optimism of the era, Bert repeatedly revisits the same day in 1939 in an effort to hold on to a love that may be impossible to keep.

Directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon, This World of Tomorrow is co written by Hanks and James Glossman and is based on stories from Hanks’ collection Uncommon Type. On paper it has the kind of starry pedigree that usually guarantees attention. The critical response, however, has been far from unanimous.

Critics split on Hanks’ latest stage outing

Several major outlets have been openly hostile. Vulture’s Jackson McHenry described the production as dramatically shapeless, arguing that the script lacks a clear thematic direction and that the staging never quite decides what it wants to be. He likened the show to a casual side project rather than a fully realised play, suggesting it feels more like an indulgence than a necessity.

In the Washington Post, Naveen Kumar went further, saying the piece leaves audiences feeling trapped between past and future in a way that makes them long for the exit. He warned that those eager to preserve their long standing affection for Hanks might be better off skipping this particular outing.

Tim Teeman at The Daily Beast also delivered a stinging verdict, writing that Hanks has finally done something he considers genuinely bad. While he acknowledged that the actor’s trademark affability remains intact, he felt the central romance never truly sparks, reading more as friendship than passion. Teeman argued that the play hints at big ideas about history and ideals, then retreats before saying anything substantial.

Peter Hempstead of Theatre Mania criticised the show for leaning heavily on familiar romantic comedy and time loop tropes reminiscent of Groundhog Day and Back to the Future. In his view, the play fails to bring a fresh perspective to those influences, and becomes bogged down in muddled explanations of time travel that drag the running time to more than two hours.

Praise for Hanks and O’Hara

Other reviewers have been considerably more forgiving, especially when it comes to the performances.

New York Theatre noted that while the production falls short in several areas, it still has genuine charms, anchored by the simple pleasure of watching Hanks on stage. The publication highlighted how engaged he remains even when silent and suggested that the show offers a rare chance to see a beloved film star in an intimate, almost homespun context.

The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee awarded the play three stars and called it breezily enjoyable. He praised the late blooming chemistry between Hanks and O’Hara and complimented O’Hara’s period inflected performance, which he felt captured the era without tipping into caricature.

Melissa Rose Bernardo in New York Stage Review also gave the production three stars, advising audiences to come for Hanks and stay for O’Hara, whose work she singled out as a major asset. Alison Considine of New York Theatre Guidewent further, describing the piece as a touching love story and calling Hanks a marvel onstage, arguing that even hearing him repeat the same lines retains its appeal.

A risky leap between screen and stage

For Hanks, now 69, This World of Tomorrow represents another attempt to bridge his film stardom with a more active stage career. He was last seen on the New York stage in Nora Ephron’s newsroom drama Lucky Guy, which received a warmer overall reception.

This new play places him at the centre not only as leading man but also as co author, a dual responsibility that has opened him up to an unusually wide spread of critical opinion. For some reviewers, the project shows the limits of star power when the writing and structure do not fully cohere. For others, his presence and chemistry with O’Hara are more than enough to make the evening worthwhile.

What is clear is that This World of Tomorrow has become one of the most talked about openings of the season, precisely because it refuses to inspire a consensus. Whether it will find an audience beyond Hanks’ most devoted admirers may depend on how many theatre goers are willing to time travel with him in spite of the critics.

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