A film based on the legal battle between Hulk Hogan and Gawker Media is currently in the works. Artists Equity, the production company owned by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, has acquired a screenplay for the project titled “Killing Gawker.” The screenplay, written by Charles Randolph, is based on Ryan Holiday’s book “Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue.”
The film will be directed by Gus Van Sant, known for directing Affleck and Damon’s “Good Will Hunting.” While there are rumors that Affleck may play the role of Hulk Hogan, casting has not been confirmed yet.
Hulk Hogan won a $140 million judgement against Gawker Media, its founder Nick Denton, and one of its editors in March 2016. The lawsuit was a result of Gawker’s publication of a sex tape featuring Hogan, with funding from Peter Thiel, a Silicon Valley businessman who was seeking revenge on Gawker for outing him as gay years earlier.
The jury found that Gawker violated Hogan’s privacy by posting the tape, causing him to suffer severe emotional distress. The video, filmed five years prior to its release, showed Hogan engaging in sexual activities with the then-wife of “shock jock” Bubba the Love Sponge.
After the ruling, Gawker ceased operations. However, in July 2021, Gawker was relaunched under the ownership of Bustle Digital Group. The revival was short-lived, as the website was shut down again in February 2023.
In addition to the Hulk Hogan film, Artists Equity has produced other projects such as “Air,” “Kiss the Future,” “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” and the upcoming film starring Cillian Murphy, “Small Things Like These.” The company also has several other projects in development, including “The Accountant 2,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “The Instigators,” and “Unstoppable.”
At this time, there is no formal start date or production schedule for the Hulk Hogan film. Artists Equity declined to comment on the project.
