Thirty years after asking if anybody wants a peanut, Andre the Giant will be returning to the silver screen. Don’t worry, it’s not a remake of The Princess Bride—it’s something far more magical.
It’s the story of Andre’s life.
Lion Forge Comics has announced that the company will partner with producers Scott Steindorff and Dylan Russell to develop a feature film based on the authorized graphic novel biography published last year, “Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven.” Andre’s daughter Robin Christensen-Roussimoff assigned the exclusive rights for the biography to the producers and will also consult on the film.
“As a lifelong wrestling fan, I can say with conviction that no one was bigger than Andre,” Lion Forge CEO David Steward II said in a press release. “His presence and charisma were so powerful, and you could tell there was much more to him under the surface of his ring persona. It’s been an amazing experience telling that story in the book with Robin’s help. With all the spectacle, action, and emotion there on the page, a feature film just made perfect sense.”
Written by Eisner Award-nominated writer Brandon Easton and illustrated by Denis Medri, “Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven” recounts the icon’s life from his earliest days working on the family farm in France to his meteoric rise in professional wrestling.
Easton, a Baltimore native who grew up on a double dose of NWA and WWE, jumped at the chance to dig below the gluttonous drinking tales and WrestleMania III slam, and discover who was the man behind the giant legacy.
“Pro wrestling is a world of half lies and half-truths,” Easton said. “If I hear ten different stories from ten different guys, and all those same stories have the same thing about Andre, I’ll believe that.”
Easton looked at the biggest moments in professional wrestling from 1968 to 1987 and then figured out how Andre fit into them. The story chronicles his start in Canada as Géant Ferré, his move to Japan as Monster Roussimoff, his battle with boxer Chuck Wepner on the same day as the infamous Muhammad Ali/Antonio Inoki debacle, his first match with Hulk Hogan, his feud with Killer Kahn, and his entry into Hollywood.
“As a fan, his later work where he was slow and in pain all of the time, wasn’t impressive,” Easton said. “It was when I got the chance to watch his old stuff that I realized how important he was to wrestling as a sport and as a business.”
Easton had unlimited access to Andre’s early years and behind-the-scenes experiences thanks to Andre’s daughter Robin and Andre’s attorney’s son, who helps manage his estate.
“I’ve worked in nonfiction before, and a lot of times, family members don’t want to tell you the truth,” Easton said. “But Robin was very willing to talk about the positive stuff and the dark stuff.”
Easton delved into Andre’s legendary alcoholism, how he dealt with the fact he had a daughter, and in some ways, how he mistreated the fact he had a daughter.
“I know she doesn’t like the fact that WWE doesn’t acknowledge her existence,” Easton said. “WWE doesn’t acknowledge the fact that Andre has a family that is still alive. It’s very bizarre to me, but Vince McMahon, as we all know, likes to control things. His legend is the only legend of Andre, in his mind, that exists, and because of that, the majority of the fan base, even people who claim to be fans of Andre, are deeply ignorant about Andre’s life.”
For Italian artist Denis Medri, Andre was simply a childhood figure: the “evil guy” against the Hulkster, the “big guy” in The Princess Bride or most recently, the inspiration behind the “OBEY” logo.
But by the time Medri had finished illustrating Easton’s words, he was completely “in love.”
“It was great discovering his personal, constant fight to be a giant in a world of a smallest size,” Medri said. “He still had the will to reach the top of the world even with the awareness that his fate was already signed.”
Acromegaly, the disease which caused Andre to grow into a giant, eventually wore down his body, forcing him to wear a back brace. Doctors who diagnosed him suggested that he wouldn’t live to be 40 years old. In response, Andre indulged in all of life’s greatest pleasures while he still had the chance.
“If he had backed off the alcohol a little bit, he would have lived a little longer and he would have probably been a little happier,” Easton said. “He could have contributed more to Hollywood and wrestling, and more ultimately, he would have been able to build a relationship with his daughter.”
Easton says he has not been contacted about working on the film, yet. “I would love to be the one to adapt it, but I don’t have the power to put my name in the mix. The production company will ultimately be the one to make that decision,” Easton said.
Another decision that everyone is waiting to be made: who could possibly play the 8th Wonder of the World?
If it was up to him, Easton would do an open casting call and also look at some WWE Superstars. “Baron Corbin or Big Cass are the right size, but they’re too skinny. Big Show would work in make-up, but you could only do it at the end of his life because Show is too fat,” Easton said.
“You also need somebody who can act because most of the film is going to be Andre dealing with alcoholism, him thinking he couldn’t have kids, dealing with the fact he was going to die young, dealing with the fact that he had so many deep insecurities that he covered up with women and alcohol,” Easton added.
Medri suggests that with the help of heavy makeup and some CGI tricks, Tom Hardy would be a solid choice.
“His eye shapes, nose, lips and chin are close to Andre’s,” Medri said. “You’ll need an actor who can play action scenes and at the same time, has great talent to play the soul of the character.”
Lion Forge CEO David Steward II and Lion Forge CCO Carl Reed will produce the biopic with Steindorff and Russell of Stone Village Productions, with Joel Falderon as a co-producer and Barry Alexander as an associate producer. Jimmy Thomas will executive produce.
John Corrigan
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[…] the Giant’s life story is coming to the silver screen, but you don’t have to wait until Lion Forge Comics releases the movie. Brandon Easton, an […]