Hanks Returns to D-Day Beach with New TV Drama

By Hannah Cowdy

UTAH BEACH, France (Reuters) -

In a change of role, Hanks had only a walk-on part in the series, but he directed the fifth episode, while his son Colin played a small role in the eighth.

Spielberg, who won an Oscar as best director for ``Private Ryan,'' was unable to attend the Utah Beach premiere of ``Band of Brothers'' because he was in Los Angeles working on his forthcoming film ``Minority Report,'' which stars Tom Cruise.

``Band of Brothers'' chronicles a unit that took 150 percent casualties and came to symbolize American heroism.

ADAPTED FROM AMBROSE BOOK

The series is adapted from a best-selling book by Stephen Ambrose, drawn from hours of interviews with survivors of Easy Company, as well as soldiers' letters and journals.

Filmed in Britain last year over eight intensive months, ''Band of Brothers'' features some 500 speaking parts, employed 10,000 extras and was put together by eight directors.

HBO spared no expense when it came to special effects. By the third episode of shooting, more pyrotechnics had been used than in the whole of ``Saving Private Ryan,'' while more than 300,000lbs of paper were used to create snow for a single forest set -- a record, HBO say.

The production managed to save money by shunning stars.

With the exception of ``Friends'' favorite David Schwimmer, the cast consists of virtual unknowns, but HBO insists that this was an artistic rather than financial decision.

The series will be broadcast in the United States from September 9 and will play on European television in the weeks and months that follow.