UPDATE: Eric Singer To Pen Ubisoft's Big Screen Adaptation Of SPLINTER CELL; Tom Hardy To Star
As well as Assassin's Creed (which already has X-Men: First Class star Michael Fassbender attached to star), Ubisoft are bringing another of their most popular franchises to the big screen with Splinter Cell. Well, a writer has now been tracked down! Hit the jump for more.
Collider reports that Eric Singer has been hired by Ubisoft to write the screenplay for their planned big screen adaptation of Splinter Cell. This is the first solid bit of news we've heard about the film since it was revealed that Paramount and Warner Bros. were both battling it out for the movie rights to the popular video game spy franchise (based on the Tom Clancy novels). That's all we know right now, although this is a good indication that work will begin moving on the film at a much quicker pace. Singer is best known for penning The International; a thriller which was directed by Tom Tykwer and starred Clive Owen. Be sure to stay tuned for further updates!
UPDATE: Variety has now confirmed that The Dark Knight Rises' Tom Hardy has signed up to play 'Sam Fisher' in the movie. Jean-Julien Baronnet, CEO of Ubisoft Motion Pictures, released the following statement: "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. His involvement in the 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell' movie is exciting news for movie and video game fans alike. Meanwhile, Eric Singer is one of the most talented writers of the moment, and ... we're confident he'll 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." With Michael Fassbender in Assassin's Creed and Tom Hardy in Splinter Cell, Ubisoft are clearly taking their adaptations VERY seriously.