Apple Wins Bidding War for Austin Butler and Edward Berger’s Lance Armstrong Biopic

UPDATE: Following a bidding war, involving several major studios and streamers, Apple Original Films has landed the rights to this project. No word yet on when this one will shoot.

EARLIER: Hey, here’s another movie Edward Berger might direct — how many projects does this guy have in development? At least five, if not more.

Berger is set to direct Austin Butler as Lance Armstrong in a biopic tackling the disgraced cyclist. Zach Baylin (“King Richard”) is writing the script, with Scott Stuber and Nick Nesbit producing.

This package has sparked quite a bidding war among multiple studios, with the blessing of Armstrong himself, who signed off on the rights to his story. Berger’s film is being described as a mix of “F1” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Stuber and Armstrong have been friends for quite some time. The producer insisted to Armstrong that the film had to be fully transparent, or the project would not move forward. Following extensive discussions over a long period, Armstrong ultimately agreed.

Armstrong’s story is nothing short of an American tragedy. He battled cancer, clawed his way back to professional cycling, and stunned the world by winning the Tour de France seven years in a row. But after years of denial, he finally admitted to blood doping, a confession that brought his career crashing down.

Hollywood has dipped its toes into Armstrong’s saga before. In 2015, Stephen Frears helmed a biopic that didn’t get the credit it deserved, anchored by a striking performance from Ben Foster, who played Armstrong firmly in the villain’s corner. Armstrong himself had no involvement, and it showed — but the film remains an underrated gem.

So, back to Berger — how many projects does he have now? Earlier this week, he joined the violin-making film “Stradivarius” for Netflix. In 2024, 20th Century landed his time-travel project “The Barrier,” with Butler attached to star. There’s also his film about Evan Gershkovich — the first American journalist arrested in Russia since the Cold War — for Amazon/MGM, though I hear that one might be in limbo. Berger is still attached to direct the next “Jason Bourne” movie, if they can somehow get the script right.

That’s five upcoming projects for Berger, six if you include “The Riders,” which stars Brad Pitt and just started production in Europe. Odds are over half of them will never see the light of day.