It was just a matter of time before Hugh Hefner’s life story would hit the big screen and it looks like Brett Ratner is the chosen one to direct the movie.

"Hef came from a puritanical upbringing and reinvented himself to be the godfather of the sexual revolution. He also used his magazine to advocate civil rights and free speech, and put James Brown on his show 'Playboy After Dark' when they didn't put black performers on national television," Ratner was quoted by Variety as saying.

According to Variety, 81-year-old Hefner sold his life rights several years ago to Brian Grazer, who is going to produce the movie while John Hoffman will be writing the screenplay.

Hefner, who initially worked for Esquire magazine, became an icon of American sexuality and a spokesman for the sexual revolution and of libertarianism when he turned a small business into a fortune by founding Playboy in 1953.

Playboy, a self-described "men's lifestyle" magazine, has helped launch careers, and has also helped further others. Anna Nicole Smith used the magazine to become a household name, as did Pamela Anderson, while actresses like Drew Barrymore and Farrah Fawcett posed after becoming famous.