Austin Butler has been tipped to play disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong in an early-stage package that allegedly has studios scrambling. The seven-time Tour de France winner has signed off for the first time on the rights to make a film about his life to producer and former Netflix Films chairman, Scott Stuber. Alongside the Elvis actor, the package includes Conclave director Edward Berger, King Richard writer Zach Baylin, and Stuber serving as executive producer. The film, which is aiming to be a cross between F1 and The Wolf of Wall Street, will tell the story of Armstrong, who fell from grace after becoming one of the most successful American cyclists of all time. After winning consecutive Tour de France titles from 1999 to 2005, Armstrong was stripped of all seven medals in 2012 following an investigation into his use of performance-enhancing drugs. While he initially denied the claims, he later admitted to them on TheOprah Winfrey Show, saying his career was “one big lie.” However, Armstrong also claimed that he was just “leveling the playing field,” as doping was widespread throughout the sport. There have already been multiple full-length documentaries made about Armstrong’s story, plus a feature film, The Program, in 2015. No release date has yet been suggested for the upcoming biopic.
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