Tom Hardy to Play Irish Explorer Ernest Henry Shackleton

The story of one of the world’s great explorers, Ernest Shackleton, is set to grace the big screen; with Variety bringing word that Tom hardy’s long-gestating biopic ‘Shackleton’ is finally moving forward.

Shackleton was born in Kilkea, Co. Kildare in 1874, although his family moved to London when he was eleven years old. A principal figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, Shackleton led three British expeditions to the Antarctic.

During one of his journeys, disaster struck when ice floes crushed his ship, the Endurance. Forced to vacate the ship, Shackleton and his men set up camp on the floating ice and the intrepid explorer led his crew on a months-long journey in sub-zero temperatures until they reached solid ground.

In addition to headlining the project, Hardy will also serve as producer alongside Dean Baker through their banner Hardy Son & Baker.

“Tom and I were always fascinated by Shackleton as a leader and his contagious optimism and absolute belief in his team,” Baker told the outlet. “At a time where leaders seem to be more about self than society, Shackleton sacrificed his own needs to ensure the wellbeing of his team – that’s inspirational.”