Hollywood is gearing up for a movie adaptation of The Things They Carried starring Tom Hardy, and there's already some key information out there on the war film. Released in 1990, The Things They Carried is a collection of short stories written by Tim O'Brien focusing on a group of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The book contains 21 short stories that blend fiction and non-fiction as O'Brien used his experience as a soldier to craft the stories.
When The Things They Carried arrived in stores 15 years after the end of the Vietnam War, it quickly gained a reputation as one of the best pieces of literature focused on the war. Millions of copies have been sold in the last thirty years and it has continued to be studied by students around America. It went on to be named a New York Times Book of the Century and was loosely adapted for as a film once before. That adaptation came with 1998's A Soldier's Sweetheart starring Kiefer Sutherland, but it was only a TV movie.
Even though war movies are a staple of Hollywood, the Vietnam War is not one that has received too much attention. There have been some highly acclaimed movies set around the war, such as Platoon, Apocalypse Now, or Spike Lee's recent film Da 5 Bloods. Now, Hollywood has its eyes on using The Things They Carried as inspiration for another film. Here's what we know about it so far.
The Things They Carried Movie Is In Development
Tom Hardy is spearheading development on The Things They Carried. He's producing the film through his Hardy Son & Baker production studio. The plan is for The Things They Carried to begin filming in early 2021 based on a screenplay written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Scott B. Smith (A Simple Plan). Rupert Sanders is attached to direct the war epic. His prior feature directorial credits include Snow White and the Huntsman and Ghost In The Shell.
The Things They Carried Cast
Tom Hardy isn't just producing The Things They Carried, but he's set to lead a star-studded ensemble that features some of Hollywood's brightest young stars. The cast includes Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk), Bill Skarsgard (It Chapter One & Two), Pete Davidson (The King Of Staten Island), Ashton Sanders (Moonlight), Martin Sensmeier (The Magnificent Seven), Moises Arias (Monos), and Angus Cloud (Euphoria). It isn't known who is playing which characters.
The Things They Carried Release Date
The Things They Carried currently does not have an official release date. With production scheduled to begin in early 2021, the movie could be ready for a late 2021 release, but the safer bet is it arriving sometime in 2022. The plan for The Things They Carried's release will become more clear once the distribution rights to the movie are sold.