Oscar-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan writing biopic on Playboy founder Hugh Hefner

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Peter Morgan is going to be writing a biopic on the life of Hugh Hefner, the founder of the iconic Playboy magazine.

Hefner first confirmed the news himself on Twitter, writing that he just “had a good meeting today with screen writer Peter Morgan discussing a film about my life” on Tuesday.

I had a good meeting today with screen writer Peter Morgan discussing a film about my life.

— Hugh Hefner (@hughhefner) July 17, 2012

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the project is being produced by Jerry Weintraub and is under development at Warner Bros. It was first being developed at Imagine Entertainment before Warner Bros. picked it up this year.

Morgan has carved a niche for himself in Hollywood as the go-to writer for biopics on larger-than-life subjects, notes Indiewire. Morgan earned Oscar nominations for 2006’s The Queen and 2008’s Frost/Nixon and also penned The Last King of Scotland (2006) and Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter (2010).

Morgan’s most recent project was Fernando Meirelles’ 360. He has reunited with Frost/Nixon director Ron Howard for next year’s Rush and is also working on a Freddie Mercury biopic that will star Sacha Baron Cohen.

You can check out our June interview with Hefner here.

The chance to play Hefner will likely attract several big-name stars. James Franco recently played Hefner in a bit part in Lovelace. Playboy was also at the center of NBC’s ill-fated The Playboy Club last fall.