This article titled “Peter Morgan in talks to develop Hugh Hefner biopic” was written by Ben Child, for guardian.co.uk on Wednesday 18th July 2012 11.02 UTC
His screenplays have illuminated the private lives of leaders such as Richard Nixon, Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II. Now Peter Morgan, the Oscar-nominated writer of The Queen and Frost/Nixon, looks set to take on the controversial figure of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
Morgan is in talks to develop a biopic of Hefner’s life for Warner Bros, according to the Hollywood Reporter. No cast or director has yet been announced for the project, which has been gestating for several years. It was previously lined up at Universal, with Brett Ratner attached and Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman or Robert Downey Jr tipped to play Hefner.
The Playboy mogul, 85, tweeted on Tuesday: “I had a good meeting today with screenwriter Peter Morgan discussing a film about my life.”
Morgan’s appointment would hint at a warts-and-all approach to the biopic, the screenwriter having pulled few punches in his previous biographical efforts. The project is being produced by Jerry Weintraub, the man behind the Ocean’s Eleven films.
Morgan’s forthcoming projects include writing Ron Howard’s Formula One racing film Rush, and a proposed biopic of Freddie Mercury. He has said that Skyfall, the 23rd James Bond film, is based on an idea he came up with during his time developing the new 007 project, though the final screenplay for Sam Mendes’ film is by series regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, along with regular Mendes collaborator John Logan.
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