James Gandolfini Joining Tom Hardy in ‘Animal Rescue’ Crime Drama

Last year, just before Christmas, we learned that Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace would be taking step back from the blockbuster environment of their films The Dark Knight Rises and Prometheus for the Fox Searchlight crime drama Animal Rescue. Now Variety reports James Gandolfini is in talks for a role in the film from Shutter Island writer Dennis Lehane who is adapting the film from his own short story about a Boston bartender who rescues a puppy from the garbage and becomes the target of the dog’s abusive and unstable former owner. While it sounds like it’s just about animal rescue, it’s still a crime drama. Read on! The bartender also gets caught up in the middle of a criminal conspiracy unfolding in his mob-controlled bar. Though it’s not said what role Gandolfini, the trade mentions the actor’s returning to the criminal underground. After all, this is Tony Soprano we’re talking about, and it’s kind of a trademark role he has …