Unmade Biopic Could Have Earned Actor Top Honors. A “Payment Error” Reportedly Led to Film’s Cancellation
July 25, 2025: An icon has died, and the worlds of professional wrestling and pop culture are mourning. Terry Gene Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, died of a heart attack at his home in Florida on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the age of 71. Police in Clearwater said they went to his house because of a medical emergency, and Hogan was declared dead at a hospital.
Hogan’s death brought to mind a movie project that never quite made it to the big screen: a biopic that people were really looking forward to. Todd Phillips, the director of “Joker,” revealed in 2019 that he was making a biopic about the wrestling superstar. Chris Hemsworth, who is best known for playing Thor in the Marvel movies, was cast as Hogan. Even though there were some worries about how big Hemsworth was compared to the 6’6″, 135 kg wrestling giant, Hogan himself was said to be on board with the casting. Hemsworth had also promised to go through an even more rigorous physical change than he did for Thor.
There was a lot of talk about the project, which promised to be a “origin story of the Hulkster and Hulkamania.” Scott Silver, who is known for writing “Joker” and “Wolf of Wall Street,” wrote the script. Hogan called it “amazing” and “the best thing I’ve ever written.” Hogan even thought that Hemsworth’s role in the “dark” yet “powerful” movie might have won an Oscar.
But by 2021, the movie’s momentum had stopped. Hogan said on the “PDB Podcast” in 2024 that the project was canceled because Netflix didn’t make a payment on time in the contract. Later, director Todd Phillips told Variety that the project was canceled, saying, “I love what we were trying to do, but that’s not going to work for me.”
Hulk Hogan started his career in 1977, but he really became famous around the world in the mid-1980s with WWE (then WWF). He was the main event at WrestleMania several times, turning professional wrestling into a global entertainment sensation and opening the door for future wrestling-to-Hollywood stars like John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Hogan was a 12-time world champion and also starred in movies like “Rocky III,” which made him a pop culture legend.