Artists Equity Lands Charles Randolph Script ‘Killing Gawker’ With Director Gus Van Sant Circling

The Hulk Hogan vs Gawker court case looks to be getting the movie treatment as sources tell Deadline Gus Van Sant is in early talks to direct the pic Killing Gawker with Artists Equity producing. Artist Equity co-founders Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are just producing and are not attached to star in the film at this time.

Artists Equity had no comment.

The film is based on a script by Charles Randolph, Killing Gawker, and is based on the book Conspiracy: Peter Thiel, Hulk Hogan, Gawker and the Anatomy of Intrigue by Ryan Holiday. The book details the landmark 2016 court case where Hogan won a $140 million judgement against Gawker Media, its founder Nick Denton and one of its editors.

Following the ruling, Gawker shut down operations but would relaunch in 2021 under the ownership of Bustle Digital Group, whose founder and CEO Bryan Goldberg bought the website’s assets for $1.35 million in a 2018 bankruptcy auction.

If a deal for Van Sant closes, it would reunite him with Affleck and Damon, whose careers were launched after Van Sant directed them in the drama Good Will Hunting, which also won Damon and Affleck an Oscar for best Original Screenplay.

The InSneider Newsletter was the first to report Van Sant’s involvement.