Ubisoft’s long-discussed Splinter Cell movie, originally set to star Tom Hardy, is officially off the table.
First announced back in November 2012, the project had Hardy lined up to play the iconic Sam Fisher, fresh from his breakout role as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. In 2014, Doug Liman, known for directing Edge of Tomorrow, was brought on to lead the production. However, despite occasional updates and vague assurances from those involved, the movie never materialized.
Producer Basil Iwanyk has now confirmed in an interview with The Direct that the Splinter Cell adaptation is no longer moving forward, calling it “one of the ones that got away.”
“That movie would have been awesome,” Iwanyk remarked. “We just couldn’t crack it—whether it was the script or the budget. We went through a million different iterations, and it was shaping up to be something hardcore and fantastic. It’s really sad it didn’t come together.”
And so, Sam Fisher’s leap to the big screen remains an unfulfilled mission.