Paramount, Tom Hardy & Channing Tatum bail on J.C. Chandor’s Triple Frontier

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It’s always sad when a movie that has so much potential has so much trouble getting made. Such has been the case for TRIPLE FRONTIER, a thriller about the drug war in the zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The movie directed by J.C. Chandor was set to begin production next month, but things have hit a pot hole, and now the movie may not come at all.

Deadline is reporting that Paramount has dropped out of the project, and so have the two stars – Channing Tatum and Tom Hardy. Word is the studio dropped after creative differences conflicted with the studio’s desire to keep the movie on a tight budget. As well, Chandor had apparently turned in a recent draft of the script (originally written by Mark Boal) that neither Tatum nor Hardy liked much, and that Hardy himself had asked for “extensive changes.” Once Paramount bailed the two actors followed. Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali has been recently added to the cast.

Chandor took on the project after Kathryn Bigelow dropped out, and previous head of Paramount, Brad Grey, championed the project which had names like Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp and Will Smith attached. Now that Grey's not there anymore faith in the movie had dwindled, and given the studios recent string of losses (BEN-HUR, TMNT 2, JACK REACHER 2, MONSTER TRUCKS, GHOST IN THE SHELL and, to a lesser degree, STAR TREK BEYOND) they aren’t looking to take chances.

This kind of stuff happens all the time, but it still kind of sucks. The movie sounds great, and Chandor has been on a hot streak with movies like MARGIN CALL, ALL IS LOST and A MOST VIOLENT YEAR. It’s just a shame Paramount has put their faith in so many movies that failed that now they have to cut ties with interesting films like this. I’m sure no one thought BEN-HUR would hurt anyone…but they were so wrong.