Tom Hardy is to lead the cast of 'The Things They Carried'.

An all-star ensemble has been announced for the war movie with Tye Sheridan, Stephan James, Bill Skarsgard, Pete Davidson and Ashton Sanders joining 43-year-old Hardy.

Rupert Sanders is directing the feature that is based on Tim O'Brien's acclaimed collection of stories about a group of young soldiers and their experience on the front line during the Vietnam War.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Scott B. Smith is adapting the script for the project, which hails from Tom's production company Hardy Son & Baker.

The 'Venom' star is producing the film with Dean Baker for his banner with David Zander also serving as a producer for MJZ. It is hoped that shooting will begin in Thailand in 2021.

Hardy and Baker said in a joint statement: "Tim O'Brien's 'The Things They Carried' is his seminal masterwork – a raw, unflinching, and emotionally truthful literary experience filtered through a kaleidoscope of memory that's impossible not to be profoundly moved by.

"We are all deeply passionate about and honoured to have the good fortune of working alongside Tim in bringing his vital classic to screen – and together with our incredible cast, Rupert, Scott, and David – we look forward to creating what we feel will be an important film."

Rupert added: "'The Things They Carried' is a beautifully crafted work and one of the most viscerally evocative books I have ever read.

"For me, it transcends its subject of young men at war and explores the landscape of deep human emotions that reside within all of us. We live in such turbulent times, and the themes of love, fear, and mortality that Tim explored thirty years ago still resonate today, maybe even more powerfully.

"I am so excited about the cast we have put together – we have not seen this many young stars from different backgrounds sharing the screen since the days of 'Platoon' and 'The Outsiders'."