A biopic of the wrestler André the Giant is to move into production with the full backing of the battling 7ft 4in behemoth’s family, reports Variety.
The film will follow the life of the wrestler and actor André Roussimoff, from his youth as a farm worker in the French Alps to the height of his fame as a hugely popular combatant for the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in the 1970s, 80s and early 90s.
“André the Giant rode the wave of the rise of wrestling in America, while suffering from the painful health condition of gigantism – there’s an Elephant Man story here,” said producer Scott Steindorff.
The biopic will be based on the Lion Forge Comics graphic novel André the Giant: Closer to Heaven. Roussimoff’s daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, has given the project her blessing and will take a consultant’s role.
The wrestler, who weighed more than 500 pounds, is best known to non-wrestling fans from his role in the classic 1987 fantasy comedy The Princess Bride. He was also the face of an anti-corporate marketing campaign, André the Giant Has a Posse, by the American street artist Shepard Fairey.
“I’m really excited to watch this story come to life on the big screen,” said Christensen-Roussimoff. “It’s been a labour of love for everyone involved, and we’re really looking forward to making it available to a larger audience.”
Roussimoff died in 1993 from congestive heart failure at the age of 46.
