David Farnor | On 16, Jun 2017

Hulk Hogan may be semi-retired, but his high-profile fight of 2016 made media headlines around the world: a legal battle with Gawker.

Enter Brian Knappenberger, whose documentary Nobody Speak: Hulk Hogan, Gawker and Trials of a Free Press chronicles the court case between the media company and the WWE star.

The reporters investigating the Hulk Hogan sex tape and the sale of the Las Vegas Journal-Review found something unprecedented: billionaires covertly using their fortunes to silence the media. Nobody Speak explores what Peter Thiel’s financial support of the lawsuit against Gawker and Sheldon Adelson’s shadowy purchase of Nevada’s largest newspaper mean for future of journalism, the First Amendment, and the power of the ultra wealthy.

The battle ended with a $115 million pay day and resulted in a similarly hefty deal at the start of this year, as Knappenberger’s film was snapped up by Netflix following its premiere at Sundance. Now, with the film heading to Netflix this month, we’ve got our first full trailer for the movie.

Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press is available on Netflix, as part of a £8.99 monthly subscription.

 

Sundance: Netflix nabs Hulk Hogan-Gawker doc

25th January 2017

Netflix keeps on closing those Sundance deals, with two new acquisitions in its shopping basket.

First up is Nobody Speak: Hulk Hogan, Gawker and Trials of a Free Press. The documentary, which chronicles the court case between the media company Gawker and the WWE star, is based on one of the highest profile legal battles of 2016, a battle that ended with a $115 million pay day.

The film of such a high profile tangle, then, has also proven a big deal: Deadline reports that five outlets were bidding for the documentary by director Brian Knappenberger. Knappenberger executive produced the doc, with Femke Wolting producing. THR confirms Netflix came out on top, with worldwide rights for the movie, with a deal that is thought to be around $2 million.

Photos: Sundance

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