Tom Hardy is THE OUTSIDER for Miike Takashi

Helmer planning English-language debut.

Deadline is reporting that legendary Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike (‘Audition,’ ‘Ichi the Killer,’ ‘13 Assassins,’ ‘Lesson of the Evil’) is to make his English-language debut on ‘The Outsider,’ with Tom Hardy attached to star.

Based on an original idea by John Linson and scripted by Andrew Baldwin, the epic story is set in post-World War II Japan and chronicles the life of a former American G.I. who becomes part of the Japanese yakuza.

‘The Outsider’ is scheduled to begin filming early next year with John and Art Linson producing alongside Joel Silver, Andrew Rona and Steve Richards of Silver Pictures.