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News of the World

FILM · 2020 · USA

News of the World

22 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026

  • News of the World — production image

22 Interesting Facts About News of the World

Interesting Facts (20)

  1. #001

    German actress Helena Zengel did not know who Tom Hanks was even after taking on the role of Johanna in this film, until the actual shoot began; she was in the makeup trailer when Tom walked in and introduced himself. The two later got along incredibly well and became such good friends during production that they continued to correspond after the film was finished.

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  2. #002

    This is German actress Helena Zengel's first English-language film.

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  3. #003

    One of the few films to show the effect of recoil when dimes are stacked on a shotgun shell. A 3.5-inch brass shell can hold about 16 dimes, nearly fifty percent more than the weight of a standard slug. Recoil is a function of the weight of the shell and the gases expelled, so a heavier shell produces noticeably more recoil. Kidd is visibly knocked back, and Johanna is nearly lifted off her feet by the recoil.

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  4. #004

    Pre-production lasted six weeks in New Mexico, including three weeks of training in the Kiowa language and customs for newcomer Helena Zengel. One skill Helena did not have to master, however, was horseback riding, since she had been doing it since she was four years old.

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  5. #005

    In a radio interview on "Fresh Air," Paul Greengrass said this was the first film he had made with a happy, uplifting ending, and that it was what he was looking for after directing 22 July (2018), his film about the historical terror attacks.

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  6. #006

    This was British director Paul Greengrass's first western, something he had long dreamed of making. It was also the first western for producer Gregory Goodman, who had collaborated with Greengrass on many of his earlier films. The production proved a major challenge for both men, as they wanted to make a western that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the best.

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  7. #007

    It is adapted from Paulette Jiles's 2016 novel of the same name.

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  8. #008

    This is Tom Hanks's first full western film. He voiced the unconventional western character Sheriff Woody in Toy Story (1995) and its sequels.

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  9. #009

    This marks Tom Hanks's second feature film with British director Paul Greengrass, the first being Captain Phillips (2013).

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  10. #010

    It is the first feature-length collaboration between Tom Hanks and his son Truman Hanks.

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  11. #011

    In November 2020, Netflix acquired the film's international distribution rights (excluding the United States).

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  12. #012

    Captain Kidd never calls Johanna by "Cicada," the name the Kiowa gave her.

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  13. #013

    Original novelist Paulette Jiles was not allowed to visit the film set due to strict COVID-19 protocols.

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  14. #014

    Tom Gliatto of People named the film the 5th best film of the year.

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  15. #015

    Tom Hanks was already attached to the project by the time Paul Greengrass received the first offer to direct the film.

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  16. #016

    Elizabeth Marvel and Bill Camp are married in real life.

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  17. #017

    The film was shot over a two-month period, mostly in the New Mexico area.

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  18. #018

    The shotgun shells appeared to be 10-gauge rather than 12-gauge. The dimes looked like quarters. 12-gauge shells are a minimum of 3 inches, while 10-gauge shells are 3 1/2 inches.

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  19. #019

    Mare Winningham and Ray McKinnon play a married couple in this film as well as in Dopesick (2021).

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  20. #020

    Tom Hanks also played a newspaper editor/writer in The Post (2017).

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Production Story (1)

  1. #021

    20th Century Fox was initially going to make this film under the Fox 2000 label, but after The Walt Disney Company closed its acquisition of the film studio in March 2019, Fox 2000 was retired by Disney and was to continue only with films produced by Fox that were already in production. Universal Studios then bought the film rights to this project.

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Characters & Cast (1)

  1. #022

    Twelve-year-old German actress Helena Zengel first caught director Paul Greengrass's attention after he watched her dynamic performance in the acclaimed German film System Crasher (2019) at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival. Greengrass was particularly struck by how expressive her eyes were, since that was exactly what he needed for the role of Johanna, who has minimal dialogue in many of her scenes. Helena continued attending casting calls in her hometown of Berlin and then met the producer and director officially in London.

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Related pages

  • Bohemian Rhapsody — News of the World comes up in the facts on that page
  • Jude Law — News of the World comes up in the facts on that page

Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • IMDb IMDb title page (trivia)

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