Tom Hardy drama on Islamophobia in US gets director

The production is an adaptation of Anand Giridharas’ nonfiction book True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas, set in Texas days after the 9/11 attacks.

The film, named after the book, follows the story of Rais Bhuiyan, a Muslim immigrant and Bangladesh Air Force veteran who narrowly survived a killing spree by white supremacist Mark Stroman, which took the lives of two other immigrants.

Bhuiyan lost sight in one of his eyes after he was attacked by Stroman, who went into a "mission of revenge" targeting anyone he perceived as Arab and killing two Pakistani immigrants.

Bhuiyan came to forgive Stroman for the attack and sought to stop his execution by US authorities. 

The project has been floating around since 2014, when the book was first published, and has since had Hardy's attachment, most likely to play Stroman. 

Other reports suggest Riz Ahmed of Rougue One: A Star Wars Story and the TV series The Night Of is expected to play Bhuiyan. 

Director of The Hurt Locker Kathryn Bigelow was originally set to direct True American, but she will now produce the project. 

Larrain, whose most recent directorial debuts include Jackie and Neruda, will be working on the film alongside producers Megan Ellison, Matthew Budman and brother Juan de Dios Larrain.