The Splinter Cell movie with Tom Hardy was canceled 12 years after its announcement for this reason; its director claims it was going to be “incredible"

Despite its ups and downs, Splinter Cell has established itself as one of the most prestigious stealth and espionage franchises in the industry. Ubisoft is currently working on bringing Sam Fisher back with a remake of the first game in the series, but it also has another project pending since 2012.

In case you don’t remember, that year saw the announcement of a live-action Splinter Cell movie starring Tom Hardy as the protagonist, with Doug Liman as the director, Eric Singer as the writer, and Basil Iwanyk as the producer. However, years passed, and no updates emerged regarding this much-anticipated adaptation.

The news fans dreaded arrived this week, as it was confirmed that the movie, long stuck in limbo, has been canceled. This revelation came from Iwanyk, who stated that the film was going to be amazing and shared the reasons why it never came to fruition.

Splinter Cell movie canceled; Tom Hardy won’t be Sam Fisher

Over the years, there were very few updates about the Splinter Cell movie. The last news came in 2014 when additional members of the creative team were confirmed. Although hopes were slim for its realization after so long, the official confirmation of its cancellation has only just arrived.

Iwanyk revealed that the project was canceled for a simple reason: they couldn’t successfully adapt the essence of the franchise, and there were budget issues. The producer explained that multiple versions of the script were developed, but none managed to convince the team.

He also lamented the outcome, stating that from his perspective, the movie would have been amazing. Naturally, this is disappointing news for Splinter Cell fans, who have already endured a long wait for something new from the saga.

“That movie would have been awesome... Just couldn't get it right, script-wise, budget-wise. But it was going to be great. We had a million different versions of it, but it was going to be hardcore and awesome. That's one of the ones that got away, which is really sad.”

An animated Splinter Cell series is on the way

Fortunately, it’s not all bad news. The action and intrigue of Splinter Cell will be adapted for television in the form of an animated Netflix series. The production, titled Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, is helmed by Guillaume Dousse, the writer behind John Wick.

We also know that creatives such as Félicien Colmet-Daage, Derek Kolstad, Kolstad, and Hélène Juguet, Hugo Revon, and Gérard Guillemot are involved in the project. The animation will be handled by Sun Creature and Fost studios, with the series set to premiere sometime in 2025.