Tom Hardy‘s ousting from “MobLand” has seemingly taken a more complicated turn as reports suggest Paramount+ is now sizing up a possible alternative for him.
This comes amid reports that the actor has not been completely shut out from the hit series, and that there’s still a possibility for him to make a return despite tension with the producer.
Tom Hardy was reportedly booted off set after exhibiting some unbecoming attitude towards producers Jez Butterworth and David Glasser.
Hardy’s time on “MobLand” may soon be a thing of the past of course amid reports he was shown the exit.
There have been so many speculations surrounding his fate as street-smart fixer Harry De Souza within the hit crime drama, especially due to reports that he had a falling out with the producers.
Nevertheless, the newest development suggests he is selecting to not return to the series after enduring a turbulent second season.
In line with Page Six, some A-List names have already been approached to exchange him, including Idris Elba and Colin Farrell.
The move further complicates things as competing reports earlier suggested he “was not fired” and there have been talks of a return to the set, per Variety.
Sources claimed that the “door was not closed,” and so they were “creatively working through” a plan to maintain him on board for season 3, which has not been granted the go-ahead.
Rumors Of On-Set Tension Proceed To Surface
One thing appears to be recurring in the entire upheaval, and it’s that there was some type of tension on set.
There have been reports that the 48-year-old actor ceaselessly engaged in an influence play by refusing to go away his trailer for hours at a time and had a clash with the producers.
Nevertheless, sources talking to Page Six note that the blame doesn’t lie entirely with the British star.
Hardy’s frustration was reportedly heavily fueled by structural issues, including script pages from co-creator Jez Butterworth arriving very late before shooting, with the situation sometimes demanding that the solid learn their lines that day. This reportedly led to delays and panic over budgets from the studio.
“You could have an A-plus author who’s got a whole lot of power and who has a strategy of ‘I don’t know where that is going,’ after which an A-plus actor who’s used to knowing the whole arc of a personality in a story,” an insider told the news outlet.
“It was all very passive-aggressive and British. It wasn’t even a feud,” they added.
Helen Mirren Shared A Post About Tom Hardy Amid Rumors Of A Rift Between Them
Amid the confusion, Hardy received love from costar Helen Mirren, who plays Maeve Harrigan, the cunning and formidable matriarch of the Harrigan crime dynasty, serving as the facility behind the throne to her husband, Conrad Harrigan, played by Pierce Brosnan.
To seemingly quell the rumors surrounding the actor, she shared an image of Hardy on her social media page and captioned it, “Love you now and all the time, Helen,” but that has done little to assist.
Mirren was said to be one other individual who Hardy had clashed with on the show, with multiple reports claiming she was frustrated together with his on-set behavior and “arrogance.”
A source who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter also alleged that Hardy, at one point, refused to go away his trailer, leaving Brosnan and Mirren waiting for hours before filming could proceed.
Mirren’s latest post now appears to be her try to shut down the allegations of a feud between her and Hardy.
Guy Ritchie Reportedly Working Hard To Keep Tom Hardy On The Series
The show was co-created by Ronan Bennett and Jez Butterworth and is produced by David Glasser’s 101 Studios, together with MTV Entertainment Studios.
It also has Guy Ritchie as an executive producer who directed several episodes across season 1 and season.
Nevertheless, it seems Paramount+ is desperate to search out common ground with the actor, with Guy Ritchie set to be some type of mediator to make sure that things work out.
“I’m sure Guy might be pushing David Glasser to make it work,” a production source told Variety. “Guy likes working with Tom.”
One other source told the news outlet that Hardy is “difficult,” but can also be a movie star, while others identified that tensions might have been calmed sooner than now, however the leaks from insiders claiming he was fired complicated the entire situation.
Tom Hardy’s Exit Would Cost Paramount+ A Whole Lot
It stays to be seen how things end up and if each parties are in a position to salvage their working relationship.
Nevertheless, should Hardy remain insistent on not returning to the show, sources claim it could cost Paramount+ a big sum, as they’ll must refilm season 2 to elucidate his absence, mainly because his character is a really essential a part of the series.
This might prove a frightening task as filming for the season has since wrapped up, although a concrete premiere date is yet to be announced.
“The role is pivotal to the story, so he can’t just disappear in season three — there must be some type of explanation for his absence,” a source told a media outlet. “Which means they are going to must alter the tip of the second series, which has only just been made, and that can cost hundreds of thousands in additional time spent developing, filming, and editing.”
“It’s not clear if Tom will even return to film any latest scenes, or whether the producers are only going to must be incredibly creative in tying up the second series,” they added, noting how, in any case, they’ve “got to start out serious about the overwhelming prospect of delivering series three.”