Deadline has revealed that the Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker court case looks set to get the movie treatment long before the planned biopic Chris Hemsworth was once attached to.
Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) is in early talks to direct the movie titled Killing Gawker. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are producing but neither is attached to star at this stage despite chatter online that the latter could play Hogan.
The script was written by Charles Randolph (Bombshell) and is based on the book Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue by Ryan Holiday.
However, according to TMZ, Hogan has "no involvement whatsoever in the film project and is currently 'indifferent' about it." However, if the movie touches anything the jury found was protected by his right to privacy, the WWE Hall of Famer will consider taking legal action.
"Our sources say Hulk 'is in a really good place in his life right now,'" the site adds. "He has a new wife, he's become spiritual and he's pursuing an exciting new business opportunity with his beer. He's also doing charitable work with a homeless shelter in Tampa, shelling out money to make life for residents more comfortable."
"We're told Hulk has had no communication with Matt or Ben over the project, so for now it's a matter of wait and see. But if he sees something he doesn't like, it could be game on."
The legal battle between Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) and Gawker Media centred around the publication of a sex tape in 2012, featuring Hogan without his consent. Gawker argued that the video was newsworthy and protected under the First Amendment, while Hogan claimed it was a gross invasion of privacy. Hogan was also recorded making racist comments.
In 2016, a Florida jury sided with Hogan, awarding him $140 million in damages, a verdict that bankrupted Gawker Media.
The trial became a landmark case in the debate over privacy, free speech, and media ethics. It was later revealed that tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who had a personal vendetta against Gawker for outing him as gay years earlier, funded Hogan's lawsuit, raising concerns about wealthy individuals using the legal system to silence the press.
Gawker eventually settled with Hogan for $31 million, and the site was shut down. The case is often cited as a pivotal moment in the struggle between individual privacy rights and freedom of the press.