Tom Hardy went to war in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, portraying noble fighter pilot Farrier. Now, he's set to trek through the jungles of Vietnam in drama The Things They Carried. The movie will adapt Tim O'Brien's novel, reports Deadline, which is something of a high-school staple in the USA, but perhaps less well-known on these shores.
O'Brien served in Vietnam himself and translated his gruelling experiences into the story of Alpha Company, a platoon who come apart at the seams amid the blitzkrieg of the controversial war. Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders is behind the camera while A Simple Plan's Scott B. Smith will write the screenplay.
Impressive credentials so far, and it gets better with the reveal of the rest of the cast. X-Men's Tye Sheridan, If Beale Street Could Talk's Stephan James, IT's Bill Skarsgard, The King of Staten Island's Pete Davidson, Moonlight's Ashton Sanders, The Magnificent Seven's Martin Sensmeier, Monos' Moises Arias and Euphoria's Angus Cloud all feature.
Hardy's production company Hardy Son & Baker will back the movie, and released the following statement: "Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried is his seminal masterwork – a raw, unflinching, and emotionally truthful literary experience filtered through a kaleidoscope of memory that’s impossible not to be profoundly moved by. We are all deeply passionate about and honoured to have the good fortune of working alongside Tim in bringing his vital classic to screen – and together with our incredible cast, Rupert, Scott, and David – we look forward to creating what we feel will be an important film."
Will this rival seminal Vietnam depictions such as Oliver Stone's Platoon? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Hardy goes all symbiotic on us again in comic book movie sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, directed by Andy Serkis. The movie's release date is 25th June 2021 (at the time of writing). Stay tuned to the blog and on Twitter @Cineworld for the first trailer.