Austin Butler is trading the King of Rock 'n' Roll for the King of Lies in his most daring career move yet.
After his Oscar-nominated turn as Elvis Presley, Butler is now set to embody Lance Armstrong in a bombshell biopic that promises to expose the cyclist's rise, fall, and the doping scandal that rocked the sports world.
TheEntBase exclusively reveals Butler will star as Armstrong, whose career crumbled after he confessed to systematic doping, losing his seven Tour de France titles and Olympic medal in a scandal that still haunts cycling.
This marks Butler's second major biopic role, but this time, he's tackling a living, breathing, and deeply controversial figure.
Lance Armstrong winning the 2004 Tour de France. Doug Pensinger/Getty
Producer Stuber, known for the upcoming Bruce Springsteen film, has secured Armstrong's life rights for the first time ever. Armstrong will be directly involved in the project's development, though without a producer credit, raising questions about how much control he'll have over his own story.
Deadline reports that Stuber is determined to tell the full, unvarnished truth of Armstrong's career, including the doping scandal that shattered his legacy and left fans betrayed.
Armstrong's journey from cancer survivor and Livestrong founder to cycling's most decorated champion was overshadowed by years of doping allegations. Despite his persistent denials, investigations led to his lifetime ban and the stripping of all his titles, a fall from grace that stunned the world.
In a shocking 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career, calling it "one big lie" he perpetuated. He admitted to using EPO, blood transfusions, and testosterone, and even coercing teammates into doping, revealing a dark side to his success.
Armstrong described himself as a "flawed character" and accepted full responsibility, but the scars of his actions remain, making this biopic one of the most anticipated and controversial films of the year.
