Well this is unfortunate. Back in June we reported Tom Hardy had signed on for Takashi Miike‘s (AUDITION, ICHI THE KILLER, SHIELD OF STRAW) THE OUTSIDER, but now Twitch has learned Hardy has left the film. Preproduction work had already begun for the project, however it has been put on hold while the producers look for a new lead.
But the real bummer in my opinion is Takashi Miike has also backed out of the film, and will no longer be directing. Miike has a bunch of projects he’s already committed to, and since Tom Hardy leaving means production has been pushed back, Miike won’t be able to direct the film. So the producers are looking for a new star AND director for THE OUTSIDER.
THE OUTSIDER is based on an original idea by John Linson and scripted by Andrew Baldwin, and is “set in post-World War II Japan, chronicling the life of a former American G.I. who becomes part of the Japanese Yakuza.” The project just can’t seem to catch a break: SAFE HOUSE director Daniel Espinosa was also attached to THE OUTSIDER a couple of years ago, but it didn’t pan out.
I was really looking forward to THE OUTSIDER with Tom Hardy and Takashi Miike onboard, and hopefully the producers will find a new director and actor that are just as fantastic as those two.