Rocky star Sylvester Stallone is set to return to the director’s chair for the adaptation of the real life story Tough as They Come, based off the memoir by Travis Mills, according to Deadline. Adam Driver will star in the film about the U.S. Army Staff Sgt. who was one of the only five soldiers to survive a quadruple amputation from battle wounds. Returning from the hospital, Mills’ relationship with his father-in-law was strengthened through the whole ordeal and aided his recovery. Stallone will be playing his father-in-law who was there by his side from day one.
WME is shopping the project and has reportedly neared a deal with Fox for rights to the memoir, and life rights to Mills and his father-in-law Craig Buck. There has been no confirmation from Fox, however.
Stallone recently turned down a job offer from President-elect Donald Trump to take a top post in the National Endowment for the Arts. He instead will be focusing much of his efforts on bringing national attention to returning military personnel and their reintegration into society. Tough as They Come looks to be a nice launching point for this endeavor. Stallone recently received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role in Creed. Next up, Stallone will be appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and The Expendables 4.
Driver had quite a year of hefty performances with his work in Martin Scorsese’s Silence and Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson. This year he will be appearing in the final season of HBO’s Girls, in Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky, and in Star Wars: Episode VIII.