March 28, 2012 | Arts / Entertainment

Rourke back in for gay rugby biopic

Well, color us shocked. A British tabloid report that Mickey Rourke was pulling out of the Gareth Thomas biopic seems to have been more fiction than fact.

Thomas said yesterday that reports Rourke was going to be replaced are "way off the mark."

"Any notion that Mickey is giving up on the role are way off the mark. We'd love Tom Hardy to be involved, but he will not be playing me," Thomas said. "I teamed up with Mickey because in my opinion there's nobody better to take on such a challenging role and nothing has changed there. He's so motivated by the role it's blown me away.

"I'm an ex-rugby player, films are Mickey's world and I totally trust in his vision for the film."

And there you have it. Rourke is in. Hardy is out. (Until the story changes again tomorrow ...)