Despite directing the beloved Hangover comedy trilogy, and re-inventing DC Comics’ most-beloved villain in Joker, even director Todd Phillips occasionally has trouble getting projects off the ground in Hollywood. Phillips’ Hulk Hogan biopic, starring Chris Hemsworth as the iconic wrestler, was first announced in 2020, and was being produced by Netflix. Following the announcement, the hype was at an all-time high as Chris Hemsworth kept fans updated on his workouts to portray the gigantic wrestling superstar. The project saw numerous delays due to the COVID pandemic and the joint WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but fans held out hope for the movie.
However, in an interview with Variety to promote the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, Todd Phillips confirmed that his Hulk Hogan film is officially down for the count. In June of this year, Chris Hemsworth said that the project was still going ahead, although there would be a long wait before audiences see it. But Phillips is tapping out of the movie. The director said:
“I love what we were trying to do, but that’s not going to come together for me.”
It is currently uncertain whether the untitled Hulk Hogan biopic will continue without Phillips. According to screenwriter John Pollono, it appears as though the script has been completed, so there is a chance that Netflix may look for another director to take over from Phillips. Meanwhile, Phillips is hard at work promoting Joker: Folie à Deux, which sees the director reunite with Joaquin Phoenix to tell the next (and potentially final) chapter in Arthur Fleck’s story.
Another Hulk Hogan Biopic Is Coming
While Todd Phillips’ Hulk Hogan movie may be stepping out of the ring, there is another upcoming movie based on a pivotal moment from the wrestler’s life. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are re-teaming to produce a new movie about Hogan’s famous legal case against Gawker. Following the release of a sex tape in 2012, Hogan sued Gawker, earning $31 million dollars in compensation from the now bankrupt site. Killing Gawker was written by Charles Randolph (The Big Short) and was adapted from Ryan Holiday’s non-fiction book Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue. Gus Van Sant, who directed Affleck and Damon in Good Will Hunting, is in talks to direct.
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Todd Phillips Seemingly Confirms That Joker 3 Is Not Happening
It was fun while it lasted, but don’t expect Phillips to return for another sequel.
The Hulk Hogan biopics aren’t the only upcoming sports movies that involve professional wrestling. Moving from a professional wrestler being the lead character to a pro-wrestler playing the lead character, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is currently shooting a biopic based on MMA legend Mark Kerr. Produced by A24, and directed by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine explores the untold story of Kerr’s addiction and complicated love life during the peak of his career in the UFC. Not the usual “buildings go boom” role for The Rock, The Smashing Machine is the actor’s first step towards making “films that matter.”
