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​Big Trailer Drops For New Andre The Giant Documentary

​Big Trailer Drops For New Andre The Giant Documentary

The film will take in his early life in France, where the first signs of his gigantism were seen, through his exploits as a wrestler

Mischa Pearlmen

Mischa Pearlmen

Andre the Giant was, well, a giant. Not just in terms of his stature - though he stood at well over seven feet tall and weighed somewhere in the region of 37 stones - but in terms of the legacy that his short life left on the world.

The monster man born in Grenoble, France as Andre Roussimoff was one of the most enduring celebrities of the 1980s, having made his debut in the heyday of pro wrestling in the United States and then transitioned into Hollywood, most notably appearing in films such as The Princess Bride.

Fans of the so-called 'Eighth Wonder of the World' have been eagerly anticipating an HBO documentary on Andre, which has been in the works for over a year, and now, the producers have released confirmation that the film will be ready in April. Check out the trailer above.

"Everyone who ever crossed paths with him has an Andre story - and usually four or five," said Bill Simmons, executive producer of the Andre the Giant movie. "I'm delighted to join forces with [director] Jason Hehir and WWE so we can capture Andre's amazing story once and for all."

The film will take in his early life in France, where the first signs of his gigantism were seen, through his exploits as a wrestler in Europe, Australia and Japan to when he joined what was then called WWF and becoming 'literally the biggest celebrity in the world', as the voiceover calls him.

The story will be illuminated by such legends as Vince McMahon, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Jerry "The King" Lawler, "Mean" Gene Okerlund and his most famous rival, Hulk Hogan, from the world of wrestling as well as long-time acting friends such as Billy Crystal - whom he starred opposite in The Princess Bride - and Cary Elwes.

Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant In Their Rivalry Days.
WWE

"The reality of who he was, was getting more intense on him," Crystal says. "He knew he wasn't going to live long."

Andre was blighted both by alcoholism, which dogged him throughout his adult life, and acromegaly, an excess of growth hormone that caused him untold discomfort as he aged. When Andre died in Paris in 1993 of heart failure, he was just 46 and had been retired for less than a year.

The film is due on April 10 in the United States and likely soon after in the UK. There is another film/dramatic biopic due in 2018 as well - although it's not yet known who will play the iconic (and huge) wrestler.

Featured Image Credit: Andre The Giant up against Hulk Hogan. WWE

Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, Celebrity, HBO