Austin Butler is set to take on one of Hollywood's most infamous characters in a big-screen biopic about Lance Armstrong. The Oscar-nominated actor has won the coveted role, which is part of a highly anticipated film that has sparked a frenzied bidding war in Tinseltown.
Director Edward Berger, fresh from helming the critically acclaimed papal thriller Conclave, will be at the helm of this project, with King Richard's writer Zach Baylin penned on board to deliver a script that promises to be both thrilling and thought-provoking. Producer Scott Stuber, who recently worked on Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, has finally secured Armstrong's life rights, marking a major coup in bringing the disgraced cyclist's story to the big screen.
While details of the film remain scarce, insiders hint that it will be a high-octane drama, drawing inspiration from both F1 and The Wolf of Wall Street. Given the recent critical and commercial success of Brad Pitt's racing drama, which earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, expectations are sky-high for this latest project.
Armstrong's story is one of redemption and downfall, having become an international sensation after winning the Tour de France on seven consecutive occasions between 1998 and 2005. However, his titles were subsequently stripped away in 2012 following a scandal involving the use of performance-enhancing drugs, resulting in a lifetime ban from professional cycling.
The film's production has been a long time coming, having already seen previous adaptations with mixed reviews. Stephen Frears' 2015 drama The Program, which starred Ben Foster as Armstrong, failed to impress audiences and critics alike, earning a lukewarm reception. However, with Austin Butler on board, there is renewed optimism that this latest take will prove to be more successful.
Butler has already proven his acting chops in recent films like Elvis, The Bikeriders, Eddington, Dune: Part Two, and Caught Stealing, while also being attached to play Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho. With a slate of upcoming projects including Enemies with Jeremy Allen White, Butler is solidifying his position as one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men.
Berger's recent success with Conclave has only added to the buzz surrounding this project, while Baylin's Oscar-nominated script for King Richard has cemented his reputation as a writer of high-quality, engaging screenplays. With all these talented individuals on board, it remains to be seen whether this biopic will finally tell Armstrong's story in the way that justice demands.
Director Edward Berger, fresh from helming the critically acclaimed papal thriller Conclave, will be at the helm of this project, with King Richard's writer Zach Baylin penned on board to deliver a script that promises to be both thrilling and thought-provoking. Producer Scott Stuber, who recently worked on Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, has finally secured Armstrong's life rights, marking a major coup in bringing the disgraced cyclist's story to the big screen.
While details of the film remain scarce, insiders hint that it will be a high-octane drama, drawing inspiration from both F1 and The Wolf of Wall Street. Given the recent critical and commercial success of Brad Pitt's racing drama, which earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, expectations are sky-high for this latest project.
Armstrong's story is one of redemption and downfall, having become an international sensation after winning the Tour de France on seven consecutive occasions between 1998 and 2005. However, his titles were subsequently stripped away in 2012 following a scandal involving the use of performance-enhancing drugs, resulting in a lifetime ban from professional cycling.
The film's production has been a long time coming, having already seen previous adaptations with mixed reviews. Stephen Frears' 2015 drama The Program, which starred Ben Foster as Armstrong, failed to impress audiences and critics alike, earning a lukewarm reception. However, with Austin Butler on board, there is renewed optimism that this latest take will prove to be more successful.
Butler has already proven his acting chops in recent films like Elvis, The Bikeriders, Eddington, Dune: Part Two, and Caught Stealing, while also being attached to play Patrick Bateman in Luca Guadagnino's American Psycho. With a slate of upcoming projects including Enemies with Jeremy Allen White, Butler is solidifying his position as one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading men.
Berger's recent success with Conclave has only added to the buzz surrounding this project, while Baylin's Oscar-nominated script for King Richard has cemented his reputation as a writer of high-quality, engaging screenplays. With all these talented individuals on board, it remains to be seen whether this biopic will finally tell Armstrong's story in the way that justice demands.
. The drama, the scandal... it's like a real-life Wolf of Wall Street 
, but with bikes instead of suits. I hope they get it right, 'cause there was that other movie, The Program, which was kinda meh 
. With Butler on board and Berger directing, maybe this one will be more like the 2012 Tour de France – fast-paced and dramatic 
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i mean, the guy's life story is basically a cautionary tale about how far you can fall from fame and success when you're willing to cheat your way to the top. and don't even get me started on the fact that he got to keep most of his winnings... meanwhile, the other guys who were teammates and friends of his have been left with nothing but their dignity and a bad memory of being associated with him. 
. He's already proven his acting skills in other films and with various roles lined up, it seems he's got this part locked down 
. The director and writer on board also seem solid, Berger's Conclave was well-received and Baylin wrote a great script for King Richard 
. Fingers crossed the biopic gets it right, Armstrong's story is definitely a complicated one 
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). Director Berger seems like the perfect fit, given Conclave was such a critical hit, and Zach Baylin's script for King Richard? Forget about it, I'm hyped! This could be the one that finally gets Armstrong's story right... we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out 
. I mean we've had a few attempts at bringing his life to screen before, but it's time for someone who can really get inside his head and show us what led him down that dark path. With Austin's track record of playing complex characters like Elvis, he's already got the chops to pull this off. And director Edward Berger is no slouch either - Conclave was an awesome film! Fingers crossed this one stays on track and brings some much-needed nuance to Armstrong's story 
. I mean, the guy was stripped of his Tour de France titles due to cheating - how much of his life can you dramatize before it starts feeling like a script 
? The plot thickens with Berger and Baylin at the helm... fingers crossed this one doesn't turn out like that other Armstrong biopic from 2015, which I'm pretty sure was written by a team of sadists 
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. It's like we're all wired to root for the underdog, no matter how much they've messed up. And I think that's what's gonna make this film so fascinating - it's not just about Armstrong's rise and fall, but about what we can learn from his mistakes 
idk if i'd wanna see a film about him tbh his whole scandal was pretty gross and it's not like he deserved everything that happened to him still, though, if edward berger and zach baylin are attached to this project i'm kinda down 
gotta be curious to see how they're gonna portray armstrong's fall from grace might make for a wild ride
. it's crazy how this whole thing has come together. ben foster didn't quite nail it in that other film but i think austins got this 
. The fact that Director Edward Berger is at the helm after doing such a great job with Conclave gives me hope that we'll finally get a compelling story 
. And let's be real, with Scott Stuber producing and Zach Baylin writing, this thing has all the ingredients for a hit film 
Can't wait to see how Zach Baylin weaves Armstrong's story into a thought-provoking drama 
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