For decades, the world of professional wrestling has been built on the backs of larger than life characters. And few have ever been larger than Andre the Giant, one of the most icon wrestlers to ever step into the ring for the WWF. And while Andre has been gone for over two decades, HBO and WWE are teaming up to give the giant his due.
HBO and WWE have jointly announced that they are collaborating on an Andre the Giant feature length documentary, with Jason Hehir attached to direct and produce it. The documentary will include interviews with many classic wrestlers and figures from the WWF era and the modern WWE, in addition to rarely seen footage of Andre himself. According to HBO, it will be “a comprehensive and intimate portrait of one of WWE’s most beloved, yet largely unknown figures.”
Andre the Giant’s real name was André René Roussimoff, and he was born in France in 1946. Andre was also afflicted with gigantism and acromegaly, which led to his abnormal size and growth. Andre became a wrestler at only 17 years old and toured around the world before joining the WWWF in 1973.
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For over two decades, Andre was a beloved fan favorite within the WWWF/WWF, as he participated in classic feuds with Killer Khan, Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy, among others. But the highlight of Andre’s career came during his heel turn in 1987, when he became wrestling’s biggest villain and challenged Hulk Hogan for the WWF World title at Wrestlemania III.
Outside of the ring, Andre was known for his gregarious personality and he had no shortage of charisma. That led to Andre’s iconic role as Fezzik in The Princess Bride. Andre the Giant passed away in 1993, but he remains a WWE legend and he was the first inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame. Younger wrestling fans may not have had the chance to see Andre in person, but perhaps the documentary will further cement his place in pro wrestling history.
