Hey, look at that—Tom Hardy is not leaving “MobLand” after all. Variety has confirmed that the actor is set to return to the Paramount+ crime drama for a potential third season.
Apparently, Hardy met with producers in London to “hash out their issues,” leading to a mutual agreement. A third season has not been officially announced yet, but the show is immensely popular and is expected to return soon.
The whole brouhaha started when reports surfaced claiming that Hardy had become increasingly disruptive on set during season two. One report alleged, “He refused to come out of his trailer for hours at a time,” suggesting that his absences left cast members waiting on set for extended periods.
Hardy allegedly created tension behind the scenes by not only arriving late to set but also frequently offering unsolicited script notes and pushing to alter dialogue during filming. The actor had reportedly become frustrated that a show originally centered heavily around his character was evolving into more of an ensemble series featuring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.
The situation does echo long-circulating accounts of Hardy’s difficult reputation on set, especially his tendency to hole up in his trailer, including remarks from filmmaker George Miller, who worked with the actor on “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Miller said of Hardy and Charlize Theron’s tensions, “[They’re] two very different performers,” adding, “Tom has a damage to him but also a brilliance that comes with it, and whatever was going on with him at the time, he had to be coaxed out of his trailer.”
That pattern has also been referenced by actors who have worked with him in the past. Patrick Stewart wrote in his memoir Making It that Hardy’s withdrawn behavior during “Star Trek: Nemesis” resulted in “Tom not engaging with any of us on a social level,” noting that he “spent the hours he wasn’t needed on set in his trailer with his girlfriend.”
Regardless, it’s all been “hashed out.” Hardy has somehow been lured back to “MobLand,” and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if producers quietly refined his current contract to make it all happen.