Tom Hardy didn’t choose the gangster life, the gangster life chose him.
At least, that could be one conclusion after learning that the Oscar-nominated actor (The Revenant) would be following up his gangster turn in Legend with Fonzo, the latest from writer-director Josh Trank (Chronicle, 2015’s Fantastic Four). In the film, being financed by BLOOM, Hardy will be playing legendary gangster Al Capone.
Capone has been portrayed in countless forms in film and television, with his last rendering given by Stephen Graham in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. It will be exciting to see Hardy – an actor known for his intensity – take on the role. Capone was an American gangster who rose to notoriety during the Prohibition era as the leader of the Chicago Outfit. He had a seven year reign as the city’s crime boss until age 33. Fonzo will look to explore Capone’s myth, showing the man’s final days as he trudges through dementia and the memories of a life lived violently.
Hardy has had a lot of recent success in the past two years, appearing in Child 44, the Oscar-winning Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant, as well as Legend, his first gangster film in which he played identical twins Ronald and Reginald Kray. Aside from London Road, 2016 saw Hardy’s return to the TV series Peaky Blinders. The actor will next be seen working alongside Christopher Nolan for the second time in Dunkirk and in the 8-part TV series Taboo, produced by Ridley Scott.
BLOOM will hold international sales for Fonzo at the upcoming American Film Market.