Chris Hemsworth will star as Hulk Hogan in a new biopic from The Joker director Todd Phillips.
According to The Hollywood Reporter the film will be written by Scott Silver and it is expected to be picked up by Netflix.
The movie is expected to be produced by Michael Sugar and his Sugar23 company. He will be joined by Phillips and Bradley Cooper as well as Hemsworth and Eric Bischoff. Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman will also co-produce the film.
Hogan will also be an executive producer on the film as well as a consultant. Sugar 23’s Ashley Zalta will also be executive producing.
Hulk Hogan was born Terry Gene Bollea and shot to fame in the 1980s as a professional wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) now the WWE. Hogan would become the face of the WWF in the early 80s.
He was originally a heroic character in the 80s and early 90s, but would turn heel in the mid 90s leading the New World Order.
He would leverage his super star status as a wrestler into other entertainment ventures appearing in Rocky III, Baywatch, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The A-Team, and Gremlins 2.
Hogan would even appear in two television movies produced by Eric Bischoff, Shadow Warriors: Assault on Devil’s Island and Shadow Warriors: Hunt for The Death.
In 2005, Hogan took on reality television in VH1’s Hogan Knows Best, which focused on him, his then-wife Linda, and their children Brooke and Nick. The show would even get a spin-off, Brooke Knows Best.
Hogan would find himself embroiled in scandal in April 2012 when a sex tape was published by Gawker of Hogan with Heather Clem. Hogan would sue Gawker for defamation, loss of privacy, and emotional pain. He would be awarded $115 million. He would gain control of Gawker editor-in-chief A.J. Daulerio’s assets as he was involved in posting the sex tape.
Gawker would eventually reach a settlement with Hogan for $31 million.
THR reports the biopic will not delve into Hogan’s scandals and the Gawker lawsuit. Instead, their sources say “it will focus on his rise and described as an origin story of the Hulkster and Hulkamania.”
The deal will reportedly include life rights.
Are you excited to see Chris Hemsworth play Hulk Hogan?