Tom Hardy has a new movie out, Capone, in which he stars as the real-life title character, Al Capone. Josh Trank directed the film, which chronicles the influential gangster's life post-incarceration. As the critical reviews pour in, Hardy and Trank are planning to switch over from working on cinematic features to collaborating on a TV show.
Capone helmer Josh Trank revealed he is developing a limited series centered around the CIA, which Tom Hardy is set to star in and produce. There is not a lot to go on in terms of details, such as exactly who Hardy will be playing. However, the overarching storyline is a bit more decipherable.
According to Capone’s Josh Trank, the untitled miniseries would take place in the years after World War II, and aims to revolve around the creation of the CIA. Trank teased that this story won't be the same one that everyone is already familiar with, and noted that some pretty controversial subject matter will get covered. Here's how he explained the idea to Collider:
I’m working on this limited series that Tom Hardy is producing and that he’s involved in and he’s very excited about, and I’m excited about, [and it’s] a story that spans decades, from right at the end of World War II and concerning the formation of the CIA, but from a point of view that hasn’t really been seen in a movie or in television before, and is just mentioned in books. It deals a lot with Castro and Cuba, and capitalism versus Communism. It’s really big. Sort of the, you know, capitalism versus communism. It’s really big.
To put some comparative perspective on time settings, Tom Hardy and Josh Trank's Capone obviously took place before Al Capone's death in 1947, while their upcoming TV show will likely start off in the years just after. Hence, the duo should already be quite versed in the period aesthetics and won't have to initially embrace a completely different sensibility than the one shared by their current film.
There is no word on when Tom Hardy and Josh Trank’s TV show will come out just yet, though both parties seem to be feeling good about the project, which has a timeline that is said to span decades. Will this project have to utilize that aging makeup utilized used to transform Hardy for Capone? It's quite likely, assuming he does indeed take on the starring role. He's locked in as an executive producer, and Trank claims Hardy aims to take on a lead role, but it will possibly depend on scheduling.
For now, viewers will have to make do with simply knowing the basic idea behind the Tom Hardy and Josh Trank project, as we wait to see where it might end up airing. I am curious if a streaming service such as Netflix or Amazon Prime will swoop in to pick it up, or if it might end up on a premium cable channel like HBO, or even somewhere like CBS or FX.
You have to imagine that a TV team-up between Tom Hardy and Josh Trank would garner interest from many corners, and probably ones where censorship is minimal. The collaboration between Capone’s star and the director is described as a limited series, which likely means that it won't last beyond a single season. Of course, that was the plan with HBO’s Big Little Lies before its second season was produced, so it is not like things cannot change.
This Josh Trank TV project will mark Tom Hardy’s latest venture onto the small screen. In recent years, he starred in the historical dramas Peaky Blinders and Taboo. Hardy took on the grunt-heavy lead role in the dark drama Taboo, which debuted back in January 2017. The FX series was renewed for a second season, but it has yet to premiere.
Tom Hardy landing a new TV show gets an up-vote from me. It will be interesting to learn who he'll be playing, and whether the character will be a real-life person or a fictional invention. I think the most intriguing thing about Josh Trank's announcement is the idea that his show will possibly offer new information or a new way to view the show's subject matter.
It will be interesting to find out how it all plays out. News of this Tom Hardy-led CIA series bodes well for his continued efforts on TV, and you can check out Hardy in Peaky Blinders on Netflix, along with several of his movies and many of 2020's big streaming shows. While you wait to see when this Hardy/Josh Trank TV show comes to fruition, enjoy this summer’s premiere schedule.
