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'Tom Hardy is an unpredictable actor' – Havoc co-star on violent new thriller
Jessie Mei Li and director Gareth Evans have spoken about the new Netflix film.
Netflix
- James Hibbs
Published: Thursday, 30 January 2025 at 2:00 pm
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Tom Hardy stars in Netflix's new action thriller film from Gareth Evans, Havoc, which is set to debut on the streamer this spring.
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At a Next on Netflix event earlier this week, Hardy's co-star Jessie Mei Li spoke about working with the actor, and revealed how "unpredictable" some of his ad libs were on set.
The Shadow and Bone star said: "Oh yeah, some of Tom’s ad libs were... I don’t think I can repeat them! But yeah, it was really fun. And I think that was the fun thing working with Tom and Gareth, it was so open and we were able to experiment.
"Tom’s a very unpredictable actor and I really like that, it kept things exciting. So we ended up finding lots of things, quite often on the day, that we would work out. It was really fun."
Tom Hardy in Havoc. Netflix
The synopsis for the film reads: "After a drug deal gone wrong, a bruised detective must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son, while unravelling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy that ensnares his entire city."
At the Q&A, Evans – best known for this work on The Raid films and Gangs of London – spoke about his inspirations for Havoc, saying it is his "love letter to the heroic bloodshed genre; the films that came out of Hong Kong in the '80s and '90s".
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He continued: "So everything by John Woo and Ringo Lam – that I have stolen from all of my career up to date! – but it's also a hard boiled, noir-ish cop thriller set over two nights before Christmas. But it’s not really a Christmas movie, as you would expect from me!
"It's about Tom Hardy, who plays Walker, who's a sort of corrupt cop and dabbles in some s**t he shouldn't do. He gets tasked with finding the son of a mayoral candidate who is embroiled in a drug bust gone wrong and gangland killing in Chinatown, and he has to find him before the good cops arrest him or the triads kill him."
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Havoc will stream on Netflix in spring 2025. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
James HibbsDrama Writer
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
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