Report: Ben Affleck May Play WWE Hall Of Famer On The Big Screen

A new report indicates Ben Affleck may be in line to play WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan. Hogan revealed last year that his biopic with Netflix, slated to star Chris Hemsworth, had been delayed after a "business glitch," and he had decided to move on. But PWInsider now reports that a screenplay based on Hogan's 2013 lawsuit with Gawker has been circulating in Hollywood, picking up considerable steam, and is expected to move forward in the coming days. 

The film, "KILLING GAWKER," is currently tied to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company, Artist Equity, with a prospective January 2025 launch. If and when the project moves forward, it's said that Affleck and Damon would likely play Hogan and billionaire Peter Thiel respectively. And it's further reported that the screenplay was written by 2016 Academy Award winner Charles Randolph, based on the Ryan Holiday novel titled, "Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue."

Holiday's book detailed the lawsuit Hogan filed against Gawker for publishing an explicit video the WWE veteran wasn't aware was being filmed. Thiel, known for his role investing in Facebook and as CEO of Paypal, funded Hogan's suit behind closed doors in a plot to hurt Gawker for previously publishing negative stories about him. In 2016, the judge ruled in favor of Hogan, awarding more than $100 million in damages, with Gawker folding in the months following. Affleck and Damon will be looking to tag team together once again on a sports biopic, having portrayed Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro respectively in the film "Air," chronicling Nike's process in signing Michael Jordan's unprecedented Air Jordan sneaker deal.