Chris Hemsworth has been linked to a biopic about WWE star Hulk Hogan, aka Terry Bollea for years, but progress on the film has been slow. Meanwhile, Ben Affleck is in talks to step into the wrestlers’ shoes for a new project titled Killing Gawker, based on Ryan Holiday’s book Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue. The upcoming movie will explore Hogan’s intense legal fight with Gawker Media. Gus Van Sant is also in talks as the director and Matt Damon will be producing the project. Unlike Hemsworth’s planned biopic, which would cover Hogan’s entire life story, Affleck’s version will only cover Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker.
Damon’s production company, Artists Equity and Ben Affleck’s team have secured a screenplay written by Charles Randolph, who won an Oscar for The Big Short in 2015. According to Variety, the project is officially in development, but it’s not confirmed yet if Affleck will play the lead role and Sant will direct. Hulk had sued the media company for $100 million (approximately Rs 839 Crore), for violating his privacy and causing emotional harm.
In November 2016, Hulk Hogan received $31 million (approximately Rs 206 crore) in damages from Gawker Media over the s** tape scandal. Peter Thiel, a billionaire and co-founder of PayPal, played a crucial role in financing Hogan’s legal battle and is expected to be a key figure in the upcoming film. During the trial, it was revealed that Gawker had invaded Hogan’s privacy by releasing the private video, which was originally recorded five years earlier. The tape showed Hogan with the ex wife of radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge.
After losing the legal battle, the organisation was forced to shut down its website. However, Bustle Digital Group, led by founder and CEO Bryan Goldberg, acquired them for $1.35 million (approximately Rs 11 crore) from a 2018 bankruptcy auction and Gawker in 2021. However, the acquisition couldn’t last long, as the company was closed again in February 2023.
If the movie deal gets confirmed, Killing Gawker will bring Gus Van Sant, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon back together. This trio first teamed up for Good Will Hunting, for which Damon and Affleck won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, while Van Sant earned Academy Award nominations in the Best Director category.
Comments
0 comment