Austin Butler to Star in Biopic About Controversial Cyclist Lance Armstrong.
A biopic centered around infamous cyclist Lance Armstrong is moving forward with Oscar-nominated actor Austin Butler set to play the lead role. The project, which has sparked a "frenzied" bidding war in Hollywood, will be directed by Edward Berger and written by Zach Baylin.
According to sources close to production, Scott Stuber, who recently worked on Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, has secured Armstrong's life rights for the film. While Armstrong will be involved in the project, he won't have a producing credit.
The film is expected to blend the high-stakes world of professional cycling with the dark underbelly of corruption and scandal that surrounded Armstrong during his career. With Brad Pitt's success at the box office with racing drama F1, there are hopes for this new biopic to follow suit.
Armstrong's story is one of great contrast - an international sports sensation who won the Tour de France a record seven times between 1998 and 2005, but was later stripped of his titles after it was revealed he had doped during that period. The 2012 investigation into Armstrong's past ultimately led to him being banned for life from professional cycling.
This biopic will not be the first time Armstrong's story has been told on screen; Stephen Frears' 2015 drama, also called The Program, explored his downfall with Ben Foster in the lead role. However, that film received mixed reviews and was a box office disappointment.
With Butler's recent success in Elvis, he is well-positioned to take on this new project, which will see him star alongside an ensemble cast of up-and-coming actors. Berger, who made waves after directing Conclave, has been involved in several high-profile projects recently, including the Netflix drama Ballad of a Small Player and Brad Pitt's upcoming adaptation of Tim Winton's The Riders.
As for Baylin, his credits include Oscar-nominated scripts like King Richard, as well as Creed III, Gran Turismo, Bob Marley: One Love, and the recent Netflix series Black Rabbit.
A biopic centered around infamous cyclist Lance Armstrong is moving forward with Oscar-nominated actor Austin Butler set to play the lead role. The project, which has sparked a "frenzied" bidding war in Hollywood, will be directed by Edward Berger and written by Zach Baylin.
According to sources close to production, Scott Stuber, who recently worked on Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, has secured Armstrong's life rights for the film. While Armstrong will be involved in the project, he won't have a producing credit.
The film is expected to blend the high-stakes world of professional cycling with the dark underbelly of corruption and scandal that surrounded Armstrong during his career. With Brad Pitt's success at the box office with racing drama F1, there are hopes for this new biopic to follow suit.
Armstrong's story is one of great contrast - an international sports sensation who won the Tour de France a record seven times between 1998 and 2005, but was later stripped of his titles after it was revealed he had doped during that period. The 2012 investigation into Armstrong's past ultimately led to him being banned for life from professional cycling.
This biopic will not be the first time Armstrong's story has been told on screen; Stephen Frears' 2015 drama, also called The Program, explored his downfall with Ben Foster in the lead role. However, that film received mixed reviews and was a box office disappointment.
With Butler's recent success in Elvis, he is well-positioned to take on this new project, which will see him star alongside an ensemble cast of up-and-coming actors. Berger, who made waves after directing Conclave, has been involved in several high-profile projects recently, including the Netflix drama Ballad of a Small Player and Brad Pitt's upcoming adaptation of Tim Winton's The Riders.
As for Baylin, his credits include Oscar-nominated scripts like King Richard, as well as Creed III, Gran Turismo, Bob Marley: One Love, and the recent Netflix series Black Rabbit.
, this biopic is gonna be a total cover-up job! Think about it, Armstrong's story is already a big ol' mess with all that doping scandal and whatnot. But do they really need to make another film about it? It just seems like the powers that be want to cash in on his notoriety without really delving into the truth. And Austin Butler's gonna play him? Dude's got some serious 'tude going on 
, I hope he can bring some depth to the character.
. It's like they're trying to control the narrative or something. And let's not forget about Edward Berger and Zach Baylin, they've both got some pretty shady connections too 
. I'm gonna keep an eye on this one, that's for sure...
. Like, wasn't there already one 10 years ago? 
And what's with the whole 'high-stakes world' thing? It sounds like just another sports drama to me 
. But hey, if Austin Butler can pull it off like he did in Elvis, maybe this will be different 
. I'm still not sure if I'd want to watch a film about someone who's basically a cheating sports legend 
. Can't we just focus on athletes who are actually heroes? 
.
They're doing a biopic on Lance Armstrong already?! Like, I know his story is crazy intense, but it's still kinda wild that they're making another one 
. Austin Butler's going to be amazing as him, no doubt! He has such range and charisma 
. But what I'm really curious about is how they're gonna approach Armstrong's... complicated history 
. It's like, his story has so much contrast - winning and losing, fame and shame 
. Butler looks like a solid choice for the lead role, he's already proven his acting chops in Elvis 
.
. And what's with all the drama around his life? It seems like there's always some new scandal or controversy surrounding him 
. But I guess if Austin Butler can make it work, who am I to judge 
? He was pretty great in Elvis 
... maybe he can bring some magic to this role too 
.
. And now, taking on a character like Lance Armstrong, who had such a huge scandal surrounding him... it's gonna be interesting to see how Butler brings out the complexity of the guy 
. Maybe we'll get to see some of the darker sides of Armstrong, like the doping allegations, but also his redemption arc or whatever 
. It'll be cool to watch how he balances that.
. I mean, he just came out of nowhere with Elvis and now he's got his sights set on this crazy intense biopic about Lance Armstrong? The guy's got talent pouring outta every pore 
. And let's be real, the material he's gonna work with is just begging to be explored - from the highs of winning Tour de France titles to the depths of doping scandals and subsequent downfall. It's like a wild rollercoaster ride of emotions and it sounds like Butler's ready to take on the challenge 
. The cast looks solid too, what with Berger at the helm and Baylin bringing that Oscar buzz 
!
, you think a biopic about lance armstrong is gonna come out without some kinda controversy? i mean, what's next? are they gonna make a movie about frank abagnale Jr.? or maybe a prequel to expose the secrets of his identity theft days? and what about the whole "life rights" thing? scott stuber just so happens to get armstrong's rights for the film... sounds like some kinda setup 
️
. The film's gonna be intense, I get it, Armstrong's story is wild, from his rise to cycling superstar to the scandal that brought him down 
, so I'm curious if this one will be different...
