Tom Hardy has offered fans their first look at his portrayal of Al Capone in the upcoming biopic Fonzo.
The actor posted a photo of himself in costume over the weekend, with the caption “Chasing Fonzo…” along with a string of emojis. Hardy’s own tattoos show on his left arm, though they will presumably be covered up when filming begins on the movie. It’s unclear whether the bracelets and watch are a part of the costume.
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Fonzo is written and direct by Josh Trank, the filmmaker behind 2015’s disastrous attempt at a Fantastic Four reboot, as well as 2012’s break-out hit Chronicle. Fonzo is the first major film Trank has worked on since Fantastic Four, which flopped badly both critically and financially. At the time, Trank took much of the blame for the movie’s failure, and many thought he had squandered his chance in Hollywood with an angry string of tweets aimed at the studio.
“A year ago I had a fantastic version of this,” he wrote in the now deleted post. “And it would’ve recieved [sic] great reviews. You’ll probably never see it. That’s reality though.”
Many thought that the jab at the financiers in the industry would make it hard for Trank to find work in the entertainment industry again. However, some of his creative peers came to his defense, and it looks like Fonzo will serve as a do-over for the young creator.
Alongside Hardy, Fonzo is set to star Linda Cardellini, Matt Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan and Kathrine Narducci. According to a report by Variety, the movie will focus on an older Al Capone than has previously been depicted in movies. The infamous gangster is 47 years old in the story, and has already served his ten years in prison for felony tax evasion.
Cardellini will play Mae, Al Capone’s wife. Dillon will play Johnny, his closest friend, and MacLachlan will reportedly play Dr. Karlock. Narducci will play Rosie, one of Capone’s sisters. The film has no release date yet.
While Capone has often been represented in pop culture, this depiction will show the dark and confusing final years of his life. After serving his shortened term in prison, Capone suffered from dementia, which doctors believed was related to syphilis. Trank’s script reportedly focuses on a man preoccupied with his ruthless and violent past. Capone died at the age of 48, so there’s not much room in the film for a happy ending.
