Andre the Giant is one of the most recognisable figures in pop culture history, and so it comes as a nice surprise to see that the life of the legendary wrestler is to be turned into a big screen movie.

Variety broke the news, with Lion Forge Comics teaming up with producers Scott Steindorff and Dylan Russell for the film. Andre’s daughter, Robin Christensen-Roussimoff, will act as a consultant on the picture, and it’s believed that the movie will be based around the well-received Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven graphic novel that was published last year (and received a roaring 10/10 from us).

Often billed as 7’4” and over 500 lbs, the hulking Frenchman became a global superstar after making his professional wrestling debut at the age of 17. Word soon spread about this giant from Grenoble and it didn’t take long before wrestling promoters from across the globe were clamouring to book Andre. As well as becoming one of the biggest legends of the wrestling business, Roussimoff also famously appeared in 1987’s The Princess Bride, not to mention memorably turned up as Bigfoot in an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man amongst his other film and TV appearances.

On this news, producer Scott Steindorff said, “Andre 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.”

Lion Forge’s David Steward II added, “As a lifelong wrestling fan, I can say with conviction that no one was bigger than Andre. 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.”

Andre’s daughter Robin said, “I’m really excited to watch this story come to life on the big screen. It’s been a labour of love for everyone involved, and we’re really looked forward to making it available to a larger audience.”

The Closer to Heaven graphic novel was penned by Brandon Easton with art from Denis Medri, and it told the story of Andre’s life from his humble beginnings on the family farm to becoming one of the most recognisable people on the planet during the professional wrestling boom of the 1980s. Andre sadly passed away in his sleep in 1993 at the age of just 46.

As ever, expect more on this project as it develops. All we know for now is, whoever lands the role of Andre certainly has some big shoes to fill.