Though Sylvester Stallone’s currently putting the pieces together for another big, loud, dumb outing of The Expendables, it seems that he’s also made time for something quite different. That’s because he’ll be developing an adaptation of Travis Mills’ bestselling memoir Tough as They Come. Deadline’s reporting tonight that he’ll get behind the camera to direct with The Force Awakens‘ Adam Driver set to star in the lead role.
Potentially giving the actor the chance to court some awards attention once it releases, Tough as They Come will see him playing United States Army Staff Sergeant Mills, “one of only five soldiers to survive a quadruple amputation from a battlefield injury.” The bulk of the film will revolve around Mills’ relationship with his father-in-law, “who stood by his side from the day he got home from the hospital.”
Stallone will be stepping into the father-in-law role in addition to directing, meaning that both in front of and behind the camera Tough as They Come will boast strong talent. Susan Carlson, Eric Carlson and James Keach are all on board to produce and with Stallone and Driver now signed on, we can expect the supporting cast to fill out quickly.
It’s still early days on this one, but as mentioned above, Tough as They Come definitely seems like a potential awards contender and will presumably present audiences with a compelling and moving cinematic experience. We have, admittedly, seen more than enough films with similar premises, but hopefully Stallone and Driver can elevate this one and turn it into something special.
