FX Nabs Tom Hardy-Ridley Scott Diamond Drama ‘Taboo’

Earlier today saw FOX stealing a bit of British thunder with its own adaptation of ‘Luther’ but it seems FX intends to mine far deeper in bringing the A-list Tom Hardy to the small screen. The cable network has officially picked up the rights to air Hardy’s forthcoming period drama collaboration with Ridley Scott and ‘Locke’’s Steven Knight, diamond adventurer drama ‘Taboo.’

Set in 1813 and created by Knight off an original story by Hardy and his father, ‘Taboo’ follows rogue adventurer James Keziah Delaney (Hardy), who returns from Africa with 14 ill-gotten diamonds in search of vengeance for the death of his father. Refusing to sell his family business to the East India Company, James strives out to build his own trade and shipping empire and “finds himself playing a very dangerous game.”

As reported by Deadline, FX has picked up the American rights to air ‘Taboo,’ originally produced for the BBC, with U.K. filming of the eight-episode first season set to begin in mid-to late 2015, and a debut scheduled for mid-2016. Says FX of the announcement:

We are privileged to have landed Taboo and to work with this exceptional team led by Ridley, Tom and Steven. Tom’s passion for this project, from conceiving the original idea with his father to portraying James Delaney, promises to infuse this epic story with great personal passion and credibility.

It remains to be seen if ‘Taboo’ would share an American airing window with the BBC’s mid-2016 projection, but in the meantime, what do you think? Would you watch Bane Tom Hardy as a diamond adventurer on FX?