David Heyman’s Heyday Films, the company behind this year’s hot Oscar contenders “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Marriage Story,” is set to produce “Shackleton,” the long-gestating biopic of legendary polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, with Tom Hardy on board to play the title role.
Written by “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” scribe Peter Straughan, “Shackleton” will reteam Heyday Films and Studiocanal, who most recently delivered two successful “Paddington” movies and Marc Munden’s forthcoming “The Secret Garden.”
Studiocanal, which is set to fully finance the film, has been developing it for four years but due to the scale and scope of the project, it has needed a solid production partner.
With “Harry Potter” producer Heyman now on board, the ambitious film has more of a chance of actually getting made. Both Hardy and Straughan have been attached to the project, which is in early development, since 2016.
Shackleton led British expeditions to the Antarctic over 100 years ago. During one of his journeys, his ship, Endurance, was crushed in the pack ice and Shackleton led his crew on a months-long journey in sub-zero temperatures until they reached solid ground.
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Shackleton’s life previously inspired the two-part special “Shackleton” from U.K. broadcaster Channel 4, headlined by Kenneth Branagh and which won both BAFTA and Emmy awards and earned a Golden Globe nomination.
Heyday and Studiocanal will next partner on the big-screen adaptation of “Pippi Longstocking,” the beloved free-spirited little girl created by legendary Swedish author Astrid Lindgren.