Tom Hardy To Star As Notorious Gangster Al Capone In New Biopic ‘Fonzo’


According to Deadline, Oscar-nominated actor Tom Hardy has signed on for his latest film role. Hardy will star as notorious gangster Alfonse “Al” Capone in an upcoming biopic. The film, titled Fonzo, will chart the final decade of Capone’s life.

According to Deadline, the film will revolved around the following.

Fonzo centers on Alfonse Capone, the ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago with an iron fist before being famously taken down by Eliot Ness. After nearly a decade of imprisonment, dementia rots his mind and his past becomes present as harrowing memories of his violent and brutal origins melt into his waking life.”

As documented by the website Biography, Capone dominated gangland activity as the boss of the Chicago Outfit until his reign ended with a guilty verdict for tax evasion in 1931. Capone was paroled in 1939 and lived out his remaining years in his mansion. He died from cardiac arrest in 1947.

Based on the press release, it is unclear if Fonzo will cover any of Capone’s early life or simply follow his decline, post-incarceration.

Fantastic Four helmer Josh Trank will direct Fonzo from a script he wrote. Trank previously gave audiences the memorable 2012 sci-fi thriller Chronicle, which tells the tale of three high school friends (Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan and Alex Russell) who unexpectedly inherit telekinetic superpowers.

The found footage-styled Chronicle resonated with critics and box office attendees upon its release. Per Box Office Mojo, the film would ultimately gross a staggering $126.6 million worldwide on a $12 million budget.

As for Hardy, Fonzo marks a cinematic return to the era of Prohibition. He previously starred in John Hillcoat’s 2012 crime drama Lawless, alongside Shia LeBeouf (Man Down) and Jessica Chastain (The Huntsman: Winter’s War). Lawless shares a similar thematic bent to Fonzo, as it also focuses on the business of bootlegging during Prohibition in America.

Fonzo will not be the first time Hardy has tackled the role of an infamous crime figure either. Last year, he starred as two in Legend; taking on the dual roles of English gangsters Reggie and Ron Kray. The twin brothers ruled the crime scene of London’s East End throughout the 1950s and 60s.

It is unclear when exactly Fonzo will begin filming. It is currently listed as being in pre-production.

Its star has a busy schedule. As Fonzo joins a long list of other expected projects for the in-demand actor. One of which is the video game adaptation Splinter Cell. Despite a tumultuous pre-production, it is tentatively slated for a 2017 release.

It is a date that seems a tad ambitious for the film, which apparently remains without a director. According to Screen Rant, Mr. and Mrs. Smith helmer Doug Liman was originally set to direct the action flick but dropped out last year. A replacement has yet to be announced.

In the meantime, the movie projects keep rolling in for Tom Hardy, who experienced a banner year in 2016. The talented thespian starred in a total of five films last year and landed his first Oscar nomination for his performance in Alejandro G. Innarritu’s The Revenant, which took home the prize for Best Picture.

Hardy also starred in the Mad Max reboot, Mad Max: Fury Road. That film would also prove to be a critical and box office success. Fury Road wound up winning six Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture, alongside The Revenant.

2017 is shaping up to be another big year for Hardy.

He will be seen next in the FX original miniseries Taboo, which will co-star Oona Chaplin (The Longest Ride, Game of Thrones) and Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones). It is expected to premiere in early 2017. Taboo finds Hardy playing a British adventurer in the 1800s who returns home on a revenge mission.

Tom Hardy’s next silver screen appearance will come via Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. The WWII drama will be released in U.S. theaters on July 21, 2017. Fonzo does not currently have a release date.

[Featured Image by John Phillips/Getty Images]

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