That mad-libs of a headline is correct: Ben Affleck will soon star in Killing Gawker, portraying wrestler Hulk Hogan, in a Gus Van Sant-directed film.
As ridiculous as it seems, The Insneider has confirmed that the director just joined the project, as Ben Affleck’s role has been slowly leaking all week. One of the other notes from the earlier leaks is that Matt Damon will also join the Killing Gawker; reports note he’ll play PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. It’s the long awaited Good Will Hunting reunion!
The Big Short writer Chris Randolph penned the screenplay based on Ryan Holiday’s 2018 book Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and the Anatomy of Intrigue.
For those who don’t know, Valleywag, the Silicon Valley vertical of Gawker Media, reportedly outed PayPal founder and billionaire investor Peter Thiel as gay. This led to an alleged revenge, leading Thiel on a path to end the “Gawker Problem.” That’s when the Hulk Hogan sex tape opened a door for Thiel as he would come to pit Hogan against Gawker in a multi-year proxy war through the Florida legal system, while Gawker looked to prevail as they had over so many other lawsuits–until it was too late.
With director Gus Van Sant and filmmaker Ben Affleck, this high-stake legal drama with a WTF twist is right up their alley. We could see another awards contender if things go according to plan and if Affleck can keep Hulkmania from running wild.
Stay tuned to Flickering Myth for more news on Killing Gawker.
