Tom Hardy, From “Dark Knight Rises” to “Lawless” (Opens Oct 24)

Fresh from terrorizing Gotham City as the formidable villain Bane in the blockbuster “The Dark Knight Rises” last July, Tom Hardy is back on the big screen as a ruthless gangster in The Weinstein Company’s epic thriller “Lawless.”

To be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting Oct. 24, “Lawless” is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: three bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. Based on author Matt Bondurant’s fictionalized account of his family, The Wettest County in the World, the film gathers an ensemble of gifted, dynamic new-generation stars – LaBeouf, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke and Mia Wasikowska – alongside two of the finest actors of their generations, Guy Pearce and Gary Oldman.

A riveting, intense story of crime and corruption, loyalty and love, brutality and tenderness, “Lawless” is a rich addition to the American gangster canon.

Shia LaBeouf had been looking for opportunities to work with acclaimed English actor Tom Hardy. The two had struck up a friendship after LaBeouf sent Hardy a fan email about his arresting performance in the crime biopic “Bronson,” and had begun forwarding scripts back and forth to one another. LaBeouf sent Bondurant’s novel The Wettest County in the World to Hardy, followed by Nick Cave’s screenplay for “Lawless.” Hardy loved them both, and proved to be ideal casting for the role of quiet, fearless and fearsome Forrest Bondurant.

Director John Hillcoat was also keen to work with Hardy, whose reputation as an exceptional talent preceded him. “I kept hearing about this incredible guy called Tom Hardy. I started watching his work, and I was awestruck – he was amazing. I could also see Tom and Shia as brothers. And Tom’s take on the character was quite audacious – he saw Forrest as the matriarch and the patriarch of the family, in the wake of their parents’ deaths. He wanted to explore Forrest’s softer side and play him in a quiet, contained way.”

Hillcoat adds, “By taking on the roles of the mother and the father of this family, he was really responsible and very caring, especially towards his brothers. But because of the time and the culture, he is unable to articulate it. Tom’s approach was very much about the different emotional textures there were to Forrest and how distilled and controlled he was. It was a unique and fascinating attitude towards the character.”

Tom Hardy has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors. He most recently appeared in Christopher Nolan’s critically hailed “Inception,” alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page.

Hardy rejoined Nolan on “The Dark Knight Rises” where he played the villain role of Bane opposite Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman.

Other films include “Warrior,” opposite Joel Edgerton, the story of two estranged brothers facing the fight of a lifetime, an inspirational action drama from director Gavin O’Connor; also “This Means War,”  and the Cold War thriller, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” with Colin Firth and Gary Oldman.