'Avengers' Actor Chris Hemsworth To Portray Wrestling Icon Hulk Hogan In A Biopic
From Marvel superhero to wrestling legend, Chris Hemsworth will be all over the big and small screen. The Avengers actor is set to play the role of wrestling icon Hulk Hogan in a biopic from Netflix.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming service giant has obtained the rights to tell the life story of Terry Gene Bollea, a.k.a. Hulk Hogan, in a movie. Hulk Hogan is one of the biggest names in the World Wrestling Federation. He was seen not only in the ring but also in TV, movies, and video games and he also did several endorsements.
The wrestler's personal life is as eventful as his career but according to THR, the biopic will not delve into that. Instead, the Netflix movie will chronicle the rise of Hulk Hogan to the world of professional wrestling in the 80s and on the origin story of the Hulkster and Hulkamania. His epic matchup against Andre the Giant is also expected to be shown in the upcoming biopic.
Netflix has yet to announce a release date for the Hulk Hogan biopic and when it will start filming. Some actors have already shown interest to be part of the film. One of which is Aquaman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II who said he is interested in portraying wrestler/commentator Booker T.
War Dogs and The Hangover director Todd Phillips will helm the film while John Pollono and Scott Silver will co-write the script. Silver also penned and will direct the upcoming DC Comics film The Joker. Bradley Cooper, on the other hand, has signed on to produce the film under his and Philips' production company Joint Effort. Also producing are Hemsworth and Eric Bischoff.
The Hulk Hogan biopic is not the first for Hemsworth to portray a true-to-life character. He previously played the role of Formula One driver James Hunt in the 2013 movies Rush. The story is centered on the rivalry of Hunt and fellow circuit driver Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula 1 motor-racing season.
Meanwhile, Hemsworth, who is best known for portraying Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, also has two more films coming up this summer. The Avengers: Endgame will hit cinemas on April 26 while his Men in Black: International will premiere on June 14.
