The upcoming gangster biopic Capone starring acting powerhouse Tom Hardy as the infamous Al Capone has been flying very much under the radar for some time. Since the release of the Capone trailer a few weeks ago though the movie has quickly gained a following, with many movie fans excited to see Hardy's take on one of America's most notorious criminals. Well, Hardy himself is here to continue the hype, sharing several new images of his once pretty face now covered in deforming prosthetics and scars.

Intriguingly, these new Capone images have something of a horror movie vibe, rather than a gangster flick, with the distortion and grainy look no doubt giving us a taste of what to expect from this version of Capone and his deteriorating mental state. The images continue the impression made by the trailer, which also leans more into the movie being more of a wild psychological thriller or portrait of a disturbed mind as opposed to the straight-forward crime story that audiences would have expected.

Capone will follow the notorious mob boss Al Capone, who will, of course, be played by Inception and Venom star Tom Hardy. The movie will portray Capone as the ruthless businessman and bootlegger who ruled Chicago with an iron fist, having already earned a reputation as the most infamous and feared gangster of American lore.

The story is to follow a less explored and potentially far weirder aspect of the gangster's life, as the effects of syphilis turn past to present, and harrowing memories of his violent and brutal origins melt into his waking life. The movie will center on Al Capone after his 11-year sentence at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta as he suffers from syphilis and looks back at his life.

Alongside Hardy, the movie has also brought together a handful of suitably impressive actors in the form of Linda Cardellini as Mae Capone, Jack Lowden as an FBI agent, as well as Matt Dillon, Noel Fisher Kyle MacLachlan, and Kathrine Narducci. Capone is being directed by Josh Trank, who is no doubt hoping that this movie will wash out the bad taste left by his 2015 comic book effort Fantastic Four.

Al Capone has been portrayed across both the big and small screen, with the portrayals from the likes of Robert De Niro in The Untouchables and Stephen Graham in Boardwalk Empire considered to be the pinnacle performances. With Hardy's presence, there is a certain level of anticipation surrounding Capone, with many eager to see what he does with the role, particularly during such a largely unseen, troubled time in the mob boss' life.

Though Capone was originally scheduled to be released in theaters, it was recently announced that instead the movie will be released through video on demand on May 12, 2020, by Vertical Entertainment. But, fear not, though this may seem like a blow to the movie's potential, it is very possible that Capone is being released amidst the current new release blackhole to provide us with an incredible Tom Hardy performance and thereby help us forget our troubles.These new images come to us from Tom Hardy's Instagram.