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HBO?s First Project with Bill Simmons Will Connect to The Princess Bride

Posted: Nov 5th 2015 By: Joanna Robinson - VanityFair.com

It?s been six months since Bill Simmons left ESPN, and three since he announced he would be partnering with HBO, and yet the exact future of the Simmons entertainment/sports empire is still shrouded in mystery. But according to a new report, we may have the first solid piece of the puzzle. Simmons and HBO will join forces, according to Page Six, for the most entertainment/sports crossover subject you can think of: a documentary about Andr? the Giant.

The story of Andr? the Giant has everything you could want in a compelling sports documentary. Born a French farm boy named Andr? Roussimoff, the legendary wrestler grew, in his lifetime, to a height of over seven feet and a weight of 550 pounds. Plucked from obscurity as a teenager and earning monikers like ?Monster Eiffel Tower? and ?The Eighth Wonder of the World,? Andr? enjoyed an impressive early career as a wrestler. He became famous among non-sports fans for his charming portrayal of Fezzik in 1987?s The Princess Bride. Andr? died at 46 of congestive heart failure while in Paris to attend his father?s funeral.

So, rags to riches, a pop-culture icon, and a tragic end? Sounds like Simmons has the perfect subject on his hands. Richard Johnson of Page Six reports that 30 for 30 director Jonathan Hock has followed Bill Simmons ?out the door from ESPN,? and there have been some rumblings that, like the recently shuttered Grantland before it, the popular sports documentary series is floundering since its creator, Simmons, departed.

So we?re one step closer to understanding the future of Bill Simmons and HBO. It?s a future that already includes a podcast and could also encompass a new pop-culture Web site and a rumored collaboration with Jon Stewart. ?ESPN is contracting, and concentrating on live sports and highlights,? an insider told Page Six. ?HBO is going to have the serious, hard-hitting sports documentaries.? Sounds like they hired the right man for the job.