Tom Hardy Makes an Intimidating Al Capone in First Look at Josh Trank’s Fonzo

Production is officially underway on Tom Hardy-starring Al Capone drama Fonzo from writer-director Josh Trank, who is best known for his surprise hit Chronicle and his hot mess of a Fantastic Four reboot. Fonzo not only sees Trank as the director but also as the screenwriter, too. Bron Studios oversees production of the film, which does not yet have a domestic distributor, per Collider. Oscar nominated for his performance in 2016’s The Revenant, Hardy will play the 47-year-old gangster as he rots in prison, his mind giving way to dementia and horrific memories of his violent past.

Trank’s take on Capone’s story is a different one than audiences have seen before. The official synopsis reads, “A ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago with an iron fist, Al “Fonzo” Capone was the most infamous and feared gangster of American lore. At the age of 47, following nearly a decade of imprisonment, dementia rots Capone’s mind and his past becomes present as harrowing memories of his violent and brutal origins melt into his waking life.” The film sounds like it’s going to be quite intense and possibly frightening, which is nothing Hardy isn’t used to. The talented British actor is known for pushing himself to both physical and mental limits. He underwent physical transformations for his performances as Bane in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises and as boxer Tommy Conlon in Warrior, as well as Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Road. He played psychotic twin gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray in Legend, and spent some time in solitary confinement to play Charles Bronson in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Bronson. Then, he made the romantic comedy This Means War with Reese Witherspoon. Hardy is definitely used to making dramatic career choices that showcase his extreme versatility.

After the disgraced Fantastic Four reboot in 2015, starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Kate Mara, Trank disappeared for a while. The filmmaker publicly disowned his Fox superhero movie after reports of production issues and clashing creative visions swirled in the press, and it was also confirmed that he was removed from a future Star Wars spinoff. With Fonzo, one thinks Trank must be trying to re-establish himself in the Hollywood scene. We’re rooting for him.

In the first-look Instagram post below, you can see that Hardy’s tattoos are still visible, which must mean that this is a screen test or a costume fitting, rather than an actual shot from set. However, Hardy manages a mentally disturbed look quite effectively. The film does not have a set release date, since no distributor is attached yet. Our guess is that Trank will try to hit Cannes and future film festival markets this year in search of one. Fonzo also stars Linda Cardellini (Mad Men), Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks), Katherine Narducci (The Sopranos) and Matt Dillon (Wayward Pines).

See our first look at Hardy’s Capone below, along with a close-up highlighting the makeup used to transform the actor into “Scarface.”