Tom Hardy to star in Splinter Cell movie

Tom Hardy's next role is Sam Fisher. Variety reports today that the Inception and The Dark Knight Rises actor has been cast as the lead role in Ubisoft's upcoming Splinter Cell film adaptation.

The film has been in the works since 2006 and remains unassociated with a studio. The site states that Ubisoft has held preliminary talks with Warner Bros. and Paramount, though it is not clear if either outfit is pursuing the project.

Eric Warren Singer (The International) is writing the film's script, though no director or other actors have been announced for the project.

Hardy is the second high-profile actor Ubisoft has signed to one of its upcoming films. He follows Michael Fassbender (Inglourious Basterds, Shame), who will play the lead role in the forthcoming Assassin's Creed motion picture.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist is the next entry in Ubisoft's long-running stealth-action series. It is due out next year for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. For more on that game, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.