Hulk Hogan Biopic Will See Chris Hemsworth Step Into The Ring For Director Todd Phillips

Todd Phillips is jumping from the Joker to the Hulkster. The filmmaker is set to direct a Hulk Hogan biopic for Netflix, and he's tagged Chris Hemsworth to play the part. I don't think any of us thought we'd see the day where Chris Hemsworth starred as Hulk Hogan in a Netflix movie, but hey, the 21st century is weird as hell.THR broke the news about Chris Hemsworth starring in Todd Phillips' Hulk Hogan biopic. The script will be handled by Scott Silver, who also co-wrote the Joker script with Phillips. Hogan began his wrestling career in the late 1970s, and achieved superstardom in the '80s, becoming a major fixture in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, which is now known as the WWE). In addition to wrestling, he also went on to appear in films like Rocky III, Suburban Commando, and of course, Mr. Nanny.

Hogan's popularity wained as the years progressed. In 2005, he appeared in the VHI1 reality show Hogan Knows Best, which centered around Hogan, his then-wife Linda, and their children Brooke and Nick. In 2015, Hogan was embroiled in scandal when a sex tape featuring the wrestler leaked, revealing Hogan using racial slurs. This all eventually lead to Hogan participating in a lawsuit that brought about the end of publication Gawker.

This less-than-glamorous later-half of Hogan's career won't be focused on in the movie, though. Per THR, the film "will focus on the Hogan's rise and is described as an origin story of the Hulkster and Hulkamania."

Based on the involvement of Phillips and Hemsworth, I'm assuming this is going to be a comedic – possibly even satiric – take on Hogan's rise. Phillips is primarily known for comedy, and Hemsworth has revealed his has a gift for comedic timing throughout his career. But perhaps I'm just assuming the film will take a comedic angle because I can't for the life of me imagine a serious Hulk Hogan biopic starring Chris Hemsworth. This entire endeavor sounds weird, but it might just turn out to be incredible if Phillips, Hemsworth and company can find the perfect way to present it.

Hemsworth will produce the film along with Phillips, Michael Sugar, Bradley Cooper, and Eric Bischoff – a professional wrestling booker who has a history with Hogan. Bischoff previously ran WWF competitor World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Bischoff approached and signed Hogan to the WCW in the 1990s, and remained with them until 2000. The biopic is still in the early stages, and there's no word yet on when it will start shooting.