The mythical and legendary French wrestler and actor André René Roussimoff, better known as André the Giant is returning to the big screen.

Hardcore wrestling fans will know him well from his appearances at Wrestlemania in the eighties, and of course, film buffs fell in love with his character 'Fezzik', in the 1987 fantasy flick The Princess Bride. His face has also become an iconic figure in the art world, due to street artist Shepard Fairey using his likeness.

Lion Forge Comics have partnered with film producers Dylan Russell and Scott Steindorff, to develop a feature about the 7'4 icon. The biopic is based around the graphic novel Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven.

“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,” Steindorff explained about the star.

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