It’s pretty safe to say that if you’re on the internet right now, you probably know at least a little bit about the lawsuit between Hulk Hogan and Gawker that bankrupted the former entertainment news site. The scandals and twists and turns involved in that sordid affair outed Hogan as a man prone to racist tirades and cost him his job with WWE, but ultimately yielded a huge payday for the Hulkster.
On Monday, Deadline Hollywood broke the news that streaming giant Netflix is on the verge of acquiring the global rights to a documentary about the entire Hulk Hogan vs. Gawker fiasco. Nobody Speak: Hulk Hogan, Gawker and Trials of a Free Press is a film directed by Brian Knappenberger, and chronicles the saga, from the sex tape to Gawker going under. Tuesday morning, The Hollywood Reporter reported Netflix has sealed the deal.
Although the documentary doesn’t premiere at Sundance until Tuesday, it was already the focus of a bidding war, as five different outlets reportedly bid on the film. Netflix’s reported offer of $2 million for the rights was apparently the right number, and we will hopefully soon know the official Netflix release date.
This was an eagerly anticipated documentary, not just because of how much attention the case drew, but also because of the landmark repercussions for modern-day journalism, particularly in the wake of the turbulent Presidential regime change and renewed skepticism of the media.
