Hollywood best friends Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been through every tough time with each other – be it professional or personal. As for their latest project, a film about WWE Hall of Famer Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, is actively in development with their production banner Artists Equity.
Although the film centers around a “dark period” in Hogan’s life that left the pro wrestler feeling “melancholy,” sources say Affleck and Damon won’t shy away from taking legal action if they cross the line. Though he’s not attached to the project in any way, his former close friend Bubba the Love Sponge, who also has a distant connection to the film’s central plot, is set to assist the Air costars with his first-hand insight into the case.
A rep for the famous American radio DJ told TMZ that Bubba is not currently attached to the project, but he is open to including aspects of the story that have been part of his past so that Damon and Affleck can get the facts straight. The source further confirmed that Bubba hopes Ben and Matt will walk away from the notion that he leaked Hulk’s infamous sex tape. He wants to set the record straight that the tape was stolen.
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About Hulk Hogan’s sex tape lawsuit
Hogan’s now infamous sex tape lawsuit is at the center of an upcoming Gawker biopic. How does Bubba’s name get into this mess, you ask? The Love Sponge’s ex-wife Heather Clem appears in a sex tape with the WWE star.
In 2015, Hogan sued gossip website Gawker for sharing a video that appeared to show him having sex with his friend’s estranged wife. Eventually, Facebook board member Peter Thiel also joined the complaint to settle his personal issues with the publication. Gawker had outed him as gay in 2007. A year later, the former wrestler won a $140 million verdict against the website, its founder Nick Denton, and one of its editors.
This scandal put Gawker in trouble and it had to shut down publication. In 2021, Bustler Digital Group founder and CEO Bryan Goldberg purchased its assets in a 2018 bankruptcy auction and Gawker saw a momentary revival before collapsing again in February 2023.
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Gawker movie: Cast and crew, what we know so far
Gus Van Sant, who previously directed Damon and Affleck’s classic hit Good Will Hunting, is set to direct the upcoming title “Killing Gawker”, which will be based on Ryan Holiday’s book “Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue”. The acclaimed Hollywood duo has already acquired its screenplay written by Charles Randolph.
Gawker Movie has not confirmed any production schedules yet. As far as casting for the film goes, Affleck is rumored to play the controversial WWE figure. Additionally, Bubba has eyed either Jonah Hill or Matty Matheson (of The Bear fame) to play him in the biopic. While Affleck and Damon’s involvement with the film is uncertain, Bubba is developing his own three-part documentary about the scandal. It’s set to be released this fall.
