First look at Tom Hardy from the set of Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy

One of the films that’s already being highly anticipated for next year is director Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY. As we all know by now, the adaptation of the John le Carré spy novel boasts one of the best casts of any of 2011’s upcoming films: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, Mark Strong, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Toby Jones, John Hurt, Stephen Graham, and Kathy Burke.

Hardy (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, INCEPTION), who came aboard replacing the previously attached Michael Fassbender, has been revealed for the first time on set. He plays British agent ‘Ricki Tarr’, seen here sporting a mean wig.

From our last update:

The story – at one point adapted by Peter Morgan with John Le Carré, though now being credited to Bridget O’Connor (SIXTY SIX) and Peter Straughan (THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS) who were presumably brought on at some point to do a rewrite – follows retired intelligence agent George Smiley (Oldman) who’s called back to service when a high-ranking member of MI6 is suspected of being a Soviet mole. The film is based on Le Carré’s first novel of The Karla Trilogy.

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY is currently filming and is due out next year.