Tom Hardy’s Warrior Is Getting a TV Spin-Off – And the Director Promises “There’s Nothing Like It on TV!”
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Gavin O’Connor, the director behind the cult favorite Warrior, isn’t letting go of his dream to bring the MMA classic back to life—this time, as a television series. While he’s currently promoting The Accountant 2, which reunites Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal in a bruising sequel, O’Connor’s heart remains firmly tethered to the world he built with Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton over a decade ago.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, O’Connor revealed that the proposed Warrior spin-off series is still very much alive in his mind—and he’s determined to find it the right home. “If there’s any project I’ve ever had that is so passionately alive in my bloodstream, it’s this TV series,” he said. “I’m hoping I find the right home for it.”
The series, aptly titled Warriors, would expand on the DNA of the 2011 film by following two men and two women as they journey toward a climactic tournament showdown, much like the original movie’s emotionally charged finale. “There’s nothing like it on television,” O’Connor emphasized, expressing confidence that the unique emotional depth and physical intensity of Warriors would set it apart from anything currently airing.
However, much like the underdog fighters at the heart of Warrior, the series has faced its own brutal battles behind the scenes. O’Connor initially set the project up at Paramount+, where a script was completed and ready to go. Yet despite early enthusiasm, the streaming service shifted directions. “What happened is all unexplainable to me,” he said. Undeterred, O’Connor then pivoted to HBO Max, where the project again seemed poised to launch—only to be sidelined once more when the platform decided to move in another direction.
Despite these setbacks, O’Connor remains undeterred, holding fast to the vision he has for Warriors. “The script introduces all the characters except for one,” he confirmed, hinting at a richly developed world waiting to be explored.
As for O’Connor’s other franchise, The Accountant, the future looks more immediate. O’Connor hinted that the third installment of Ben Affleck’s number-crunching assassin saga is already in motion, promising fans it won’t take another nine years to see Christian Wolff back in action. “Chris needs to find love,” O’Connor teased. “So I want to be able to give Christian that by the end of the third movie.”
For now, Warrior fans can only hope that O’Connor’s knockout pitch finds the right network willing to step into the ring. And if his passion is any indication, Warriors might just land the home it deserves.
Would you also like me to create a second version with a slightly more dramatic, sports-style tone?
