Tom Hardy Signs On To 'The Revenant' Alongside Leonardo DiCaprio: 19th Century Period Piece About Frontier Revenge Wil Be Directed By Alejandro Inarritu [PHOTO]

Tom Hardy has signed on to co-star alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge" 

Leonardo DiCaprio will play a fur trapper who is left for dead in the wilderness of early 19th century North America. "The Revenant," will be directed by the Oscar nominee Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.

The Revenant, based on Michael Punke's 2002 novel, The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, has Iñárritu's dream project rince 2011, but the book adaptation has been stuck in development hell for more than a decade. It now has a screenplay by the director and Mark L Smith, the writer of "Vacany" and "The Hole." Iñárritu, who directed "Amores Perros" and "Babel," plans to shoot in September with an Autumn 2015 release date.

Punke's book is set in 1823, in the what will become the Dakotas, is about 36-year-old Hugh Glass, who is based on a real-life figure. Glass joins the Rocky Mountain Fur Co. on an expedition. After being mauled by a bear, he is left at the mercy of two would-be rescuers who steal his belongings and abandon him when their camp is attacked by Native American raiders. Glass must then make the 350-mile journey back to civilisation through perilous territory.

Producers are Anonymous Content's Steve Golin, Keith Redmon, David Kanter, Iñárritu, Arnon Milchan, and James Skotchdopole. Paul Green, Brett Ratner and James Packer will executive produce.

This is DiCaprio's first movie since "The Wolf of Wall Street," where he barely lost his first Oscar. Back in March Hardy was planning on starring in New Regency's video game adaptation "Splinter Cell" for Doug Liman.