Splinter Cell movie to star Tom Hardy

The Dark Knight Rises' Bane, Tom Hardy, is set to star as super-secret agent Sam Fisher in the movie adaptation of Ubisoft's sneak 'em up series Splinter Cell. It's still early days for the movie, which has yet to be picked up by a studio, but the pieces are starting to come together.

"Tom Hardy is currently 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," Ubisoft Motion Pictures CEO Jean-Julien Baronnet said in the announcement, picked up by Deadline. "His involvement in the 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell' movie is exciting news for movie and video game fans alike."

Baronnet is also jolly pleased with writer Eric Warren Singer, despite his relative inexperience. "We're confident he'll bring a fresh approach and create a thrilling story for the Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell movie, while still respecting all the codes and traditions of the franchise that are so important to fans," he said.

Ubisoft's last adaptation, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, was a bit of a duffer but raked in heaps of dough as one of the most financially successful video game movies.

Hardy's no stranger to spies, having played sneaky men in the romantic comedy This Means War, which is where the picture up top comes from, and the fine Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.