The tense mob mystery “The Drop” follows bartender Bob Saginowski (played by Tom Hardy) who finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that unravels the secret lives of his friends, families and foes.

 

Directed by Michael Roskam, “The Drop” is based on American novelist Dennis Lehane’s short story, “Animal Rescue,” which was published in the anthology “Boston Noir.” Lehane also wrote the script for the film.

 

Lehane initially set out to write a novel, but he never got past the first chapter.

 

“It was the only book I’ve ever started that kicked out on me,” Lehane said. “I put it in a drawer and never went back to it, but I kept thinking about Bob, the puppy he rescues and the woman he meets. I think it stuck with me all this time because I was fascinated by the idea of loneliness. We almost never speak about how devastating it can be. So I started from the idea of one guy, Bob, who is exceptionally lonely.”

 

The original story is about a guy who discovers an abused pit bull in a trash can. By saving that dog, he sets in motion a series of complications that change his life.

 

Before Chernin Entertainment approached him for the rights to his story, Lehane had already considered adapting it into his first screenplay. Lehane worked on the first draft of the script by himself, writing throughout the summer of 2010.

 

“The short story was very insular,” Lehane said. “I had just the bare bones of the plot. What was unique about the experience was that I was never shoved into a conversation about how to make the film more palatable to a larger audience. It was always about the integrity of the original vision.”

 

The film also stars the late James Gandolfini as Cousin Marv, for whom Bob works as a bartender. This marked Gandolfini’s final appearance in a feature film.

 

Brooklyn

 

The producers wanted to shoot in a neighborhood that originally grew up around the Catholic Church. After considering many cities, it became clear that Bob’s story was meant to unfold in Brooklyn, New York City’s most populous borough and a traditionally blue-collar enclave that has welcomed generations of immigrants to America.

 

Roskam spent weeks location scouting, which he says was some of the most fruitful research he did for the film.

 

According to producer Mike Larocca, “The Drop” is a movie that will offer something for every audience, from a tight and suspenseful crime saga to an intriguing mystery and a romance.

 

“The audience will get to spend some time with interesting characters. The beautiful love story has a complexity that you don’t find in your average genre piece, which is a testament to Lehane. It is a thrilling and emotional movie that will surprise the audience in a lot of ways.”

 

“The Drop” will open in cinemas on Nov. 12 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.