Why Chris Hemsworth's Hulk Hogan Biopic Was Never Made

News18

3 days ago

The famous Hollywood film star was about to play the legendary WWE wrestler and his journey on screen in a Netflix project that faced contractual issues.
Legendary WWE wrestler Hulk Hogan's life story could've turned into a feature film on Netflix, starring famous Hollywood actor Chris Hemsworth. In an old interview, Hogan showed excitement over a biopic being made on him with Hemsworth in the lead. However, the film never truly materialised due to contract issues.
The Hulk Hogan biopic was first announced back in 2019, with Joker director Todd Phillips helming the project. At the time, the Hollywood Reporter claimed that Hemsworth would be playing the lead role, enacting the incredibly popular wrestler of the '80s and '90s on the screen in 'an origin story of the Hulkster and Hulkamania."
That Hemsworth was indeed on board was confirmed by the star himself in a 2020 interview with Total Film. Hemsworth stood all excited to portray the humongous rise and fame of the 'Hulkamania' on screen. The actor was keen to match the wrestler's iconic look, featuring his blond hair and a pronounced moustache.
'This movie is going to be a really fun project," Hemsworth had said. 'As you can imagine, the preparation for the role will be insanely physical. I will have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for Thor. There is the accent, the physicality and the attitude. I will also have to do a deep dive into the rabbit hole of the wrestling world, which I'm really looking forward to doing."
Even Hogan carried a spring in his stride at the biopic's prospects. In a 2021 Instagram post, he shared appreciations for the Thor actor, who had by then built some bulky arms to replicate his imposing presence in the ring. 'My brother has that Hogan Pump on Jack, looks like he could slam Andre brother," he captioned it, while giving a reference to his famous battle with Andre the Giant.
Sadly, the project never came through after Hogan claimed Netflix couldn't finalise the contract. 'They kind of missed a beat in the contract," he said during the PDB podcast last year. 'There was a payment that wasn't placed at the right time. The script was amazing. Scott Silver, who wrote the script for Joker, The Wolf of Wall Street, a bunch of other movies, said, 'This is the best thing I've ever written.'"
'When I read it I was like, 'Oh my gosh, if this thing comes out…' there was talk that Chris Hemsworth had never played a real person before and he could probably win an Oscar, this thing is so powerful."
Hogan died on Thursday, July 24, following a sudden cardiac arrest at his Florida residence at the age of 71, leaving his fans in pain and despair for the flamboyant star who enriched many a childhood.
First Published:
July 25, 2025, 15:27 IST
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