Hollywood to revisit cycling’s most notorious doping scandal, with Austin Butler set to portray Lance Armstrong in a new biopic in the works.
A new biopic on life and career of Lance Armstrong is in the works. (Photo: Getty Images)
Updated February 7, 2026 09:11AM
Lance Armstrong is at the center of a new movie about the life story of one of cycling’s most notorious figures.
That’s according to Variety, which reports that a new biopic is in the works about the career of the banned-for-life Texan.
The Hollywood trade magazine reports that Oscar nominee Austin Butler is set to star.
Hollywood already took on one of cycling’s most infamous doping scandals, though several documentaries have recounted the story.
Ben Foster played Armstrong in The Program, which received mixed reviews and did not make a big splash when it was released in 2015.
According to Variety, the new project is different because producers have acquired the rights directly from Armstrong.
Early reports overnight also confirmed that some of Hollywood’s biggest hitters are behind the project.
Edward Berger, whose recent films include All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave, will direct. Scott Stuber, a former Netflix boss who now works at United Artists, is producing, with a script from Zach Baylin (King Richard), Variety reported.
There was no immediate reaction from Armstrong, who remains a polarizing figure within the cycling community.
New movie is backed by Hollywood heavy-hitters
Armstrong, shown here at a 2025 conference, remains a polarizing figure within the cycling community. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Now 54, Armstrong won the Tour a record seven straight times from 1999 to 2005, and became an A-list sports global icon as a cancer survivor and cycling’s most famous racer.
That came crashing down after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency revealed in 2012 that Armstrong’s circle ran a sophisticated doping program, resulting in a life ban for Armstrong and shorter bans for scores of former teammates and others associated with the scandal.
Armstrong was stripped of his titles and faced more than $100 million in legal settlements and lost income, including a $5 million settlement with the U.S. government in 2018.
Armstrong has since built a sweeping media empire that includes the popular podcast The Move, and has returned to the speaker’s circuit, earning up to $100,000 per engagement.
There were no details about what the movie might explore in the recasting of the Armstrong story, or when it would be released.