Tom Hanks’ Sneaky Cameo In TV Remake Of His Cult Classic Thriller Explained By Creator

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Be warned, this article contains slight spoilers for the Peacock series, ‘The Burbs.’ Tom Hanks makes a brief but smart appearance in the show, and the creator, Celeste Hughey, has shared the story of how it came to be.

The 1989 film The ‘Burbs stars Tom Hanks as Ray Peterson, a man whose relaxing vacation is disrupted by his odd new neighbors, the Klopeks, who appear to be hiding something. Though not considered one of Hanks’ most famous movies, it gained a dedicated following over the years. Now, a new television series remake, starring Keke Palmer, is available with all eight episodes streaming on Peacock.

During a conversation with Liam Crowley from ScreenRant about ‘The Burbs’ reboot, creator Hughey revealed that Tom Hanks appears briefly in the first episode as a picture of H. Horace Hinckley, the founder of Hinckley Hills. She clarified that this is Hanks’ only contribution to the series and explained how it happened. She also discussed another link to the original movie. You can read her full comments below.

Absolutely! We were really eager to include him in some capacity, and we were thrilled he agreed to let us use his image to portray H. Horace Hinckley, the founder of Hinckley Hills. He was very enthusiastic about it. We also brought back Wendy Schaal, who originally played Bonnie Rumsfield, to play the librarian in the first episode. We wanted to consistently reference the original movie, and getting Tom’s approval for his image was a huge moment for all of us.

One of the companies we work with, Imagine, originally produced the film. Brian Grazer reached out to him via email, and he agreed to participate.

Carrie Fisher, who played Carol in the original The ‘Burbs, also played a significant role. Although she passed away in 2016, the show paid tribute to her through the characters of Samira, played by Palmer, and Rob, played by Jack Whitehall, as explained by Hughey.

You know, Rob and Samira – their family name is Fisher. It was a little nod to Carrie Fisher, a way of honoring her. We really wanted to include that connection.

The new Peacock series is a fresh take on the 1989 film, but it still includes nods to the original story and cast. It’s similar to how Arnold Schwarzenegger briefly appeared in the remake of The Running Man – as an image on money, acknowledging his role in the first film and the world it created.

Early reviews of the new take on The ‘Burbs are positive, giving it a ‘Fresh’ rating of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are particularly impressed with Palmer’s acting and the film’s distinctive and relevant style. While the score may shift as more reviews come in, it’s currently higher than the original movie’s 56%.

Alongside Palmer and Whitehall, Julia Duffy, Paula Pell, Mark Proksch, and Kapil Talwalkar are also series regulars. The cast also includes Haley Joel Osment, RJ Cyler, and Justin Kirk, who have recurring roles, in addition to Schaal’s librarian character. These actors continue a tradition of well-known performers like Bruce Dern, Corey Feldman, and Rick Ducommon, who played memorable, eccentric neighbors in the original The ‘Burbs movie.

Before taking on the new version of The ‘Burbs, Hughey worked on the Apple TV series Palm Royale and the Netflix shows Dead to Me and No Good Deed. She’s also a writer and executive producer for the Peacock remake, in addition to creating it.

All episodes of The ‘Burbs are now streaming on Peacock.

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2026-02-08 23:28