Pauly Shore is set to portray fitness icon Richard Simmons in a new biopic.
The film is currently being developed at Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization, with additional casting underway.
In response to the news, the reclusive Simmons disavowed the project, stating on social media that he never gave permission for the movie.
The biopic comes after an unrelated short film about Simmons from director and writer Jake Lewis.
“I’m really excited about sharing Richard Simmons’s life with the world,” said Shore in a statement.
Simmons was one of the biggest fitness celebrities and exercise gurus ever, making frequent appearances on talk shows such as “Late Night With David Letterman” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
Mark Wolper of The Wolper Organization described the upcoming biopic as an “amazing, dramatic and uplifting story.”
The Wolper Organization has produced over 500 films and television projects, including “Roots,” “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” and “L.A. Confidential.”