Earlier today Collider reported that Eric Singer was being brought on to pen the film adaptation of Tom Clancy’s Spliter Cell video games. Now, Variety brings news that Tom Hardy will star in the upcoming film.
For those who don’t know, Splinter Cell is a popular video game franchise based on Tom Clancy novels. Hardy will play highly-trained special operative named Sam Fisher in what should be yet another role that the young actor can thrive in. A strong, silent character such as Fisher is perfect for an actor who’s shown he’s at his best when his character is required to convey thoughts and emotion without extensive lines (see Warrior).
Check out the statement from Jean-Julien Baronnet, CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures.
“Tom Hardy is currently one of the biggest talents in the film industry, and he has a phenomenal ability to take on complex and varied roles with his broad range of acting skills. His involvement in the ‘Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell’ movie is exciting news for movie and video game fans alike. Meanwhile, Eric Singer is one of the most talented writers of the moment, and … we’re confident he’ll bring a fresh approach and create a thrilling story … while still respecting all the codes and traditions of the franchise that are so important to fans.”
Six Splinter Cell games have been released so far on consoles, with another one, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, coming in the spring. This will be Ubisoft’s second video game film currently in production, as Michael Fassbender is set to co-produce and star in an Assassin’s Creed film. Between Fassbender and Hardy, I think the Ubisoft has a pretty good chance of seeing their games turned into very successful films.
What do you think about a Splinter Cell film and Tom Hardy as the star? Will this, along with the Assassin’s Creed film break the trend of poor video game adaptations? Can a film based on a videogame actually turn out to be good? Share your thoughts in the comments section below and let us know.
