The term “mega author” typically refers to a writer who makes millions off every book he or she writes.
Individuals in this very small category include Stephen King, John Grisham, the late Michael Crichton, and Tom Clancy.
Clancy is of course the author of The Hunter For Red October, Clear and Present Danger, and fourteen other #1 bestsellers. There’s also the bestselling Tom Clancy Splinter Cell games that have been going strong since 2002. While Clancy’s novels have translated well to the big screen, we still haven’t seen a totally successful big screen video game adaptation, and maybe Splinter Cell has the right cinematic quality that could translate into a great action film.
At least that’s what Hollywood’s hoping. Both Warner Brothers and Paramount were competing for the rights for the game, and now Collider reports that Tom Hardy is up to play the lead character of Splinter Cell, Sam Fisher. Although you couldn’t see most of his face in The Dark Knight Rises, Hardy is currently best known for playing Bane, having been previously featured in Christopher Nolan’s Inception.
Collider tells us that Ubiosoft has also hired a screenwriter, Eric Singer, who previously penned The International, which was helmed by Tom Tykwer (Cloud Atlas). As the Hollywood Reporter notes, Ubisoft is developing the project in house, which they plan on presenting to the studios.
Ubisoft has its movie division which was set up in 2011, and is also developing an Assassin’s Creed movie.(Michael Fassbinder, who was recently in Prometheus, is slated to star.)
As Ubisoft said in a statement, Hardy “is one of the biggest talents in the film industry, and he has a phenomenal ability to take on complex and varied roles with his broad range of acting skills. His involvement in Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell movie is exciting new for movie and video game fans alike.”
The company is also hoping screenwriter Eric Singer will “bring a fresh approach and create a thrilling story while still respecting all the codes and traditions of the franchise that are so important to fans.”
