Credit – Wrestling Observer
It appears WWE has dropped any plans to do a DVD or feature film on Hall of Famer Gorgeous George. Originally, WWE Studios was going to do the movie and then they changed their minds and wanted to do a documentary DVD but the people involved in that project haven’t heard anything from WWE in a long time.
Tommy Dreamer revealed that he will be co-hosting WWE’s next ECW DVD with Joey Styles. He wrote on Facebook earlier this week:
“What a great time I had today at WWE Studios. Me and Joey Styles hosted ECW Unreleased Volume 2. some really good matches and a lot of behind the scenes of ECW. The Revolution continues to exist. Look forward to everyone’s comments once they have seen it. Happy to go down extreme memory lane.”
- Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton participated in a Make-A-Wish signing at Maggiano’s restaurant in Little Italy on Friday:
- WWE Studios’ No One Lives featuring Brodus Clay will be released in select cities on May 10th.
- There have been a lot of complaints about the set up of this year’s WrestleMania Axxess events. Fan reports from Thursday and Friday show that many fans have waited in long lines without getting the autographs they wanted.
WWE Studios’ The Call with Halle Berry and David Otunga came in at #2 behind “Oz” at the box office this weekend. The movie is estimated to draw $17.10 million on opening weekend.
In comparison, WWE Studios’ Dead Man Down opened last weekend with just $5.45 million. For this weekend, Dead Man Down dropped to #11 at the box office, drawing just a bit over $2 million.
The Call may end up doing over $45 million, meaning a profit for WWE Studios and Sony. BoxOfficeMojo.com reports that the demographics for The Call were 61% female and 53% were above the age of 30.
As noted earlier, WWE Studios’ The Call is expected to do around $16-$17 million at the box office this weekend. With a budget of $13 million and other costs, it would need around $24 million at the box office to break even.
With a strong opening like that, WWE will actually have a movie that makes money even before DVD sales.
Talks are said to be serious between Michael Luisi of WWE Studios and the producers of the planned Bruno Sammartino feature film. No deal is in place but WWE is interested in the rights to the movie, produced by Scott Rosenfelt and written by Rosenfelt and Paul Guay.
A script has been completed and covers Sammartino’s life from 1943 when Nazis took over Pizaferato, Italy until 1995.
WWE issued the following press release on Friday:
STAMFORD, Conn., October 26, 2012 – WWE Studios (NYSE:WWE) and ABC Family today announced that WWE Studios and ABC Family are developing an upcoming television movie,Christmas Bounty, for a 2013 world premiere during ABC Family’s popular “25 Days of Christmas” programming event. WWE Superstar The Miz is attached to star in a lead role.
Christmas Bounty is an action-filled comedy about a former bounty hunter turned elementary schoolteacher. Determined to have a normal life, and keep her bounty hunter past a secret, she reluctantly returns home for Christmas to help save the family business by catching the one bounty that got away. But when her fiancé follows her home for the holiday, she struggles to hide her wild family business and a bounty hunter ex-boyfriend she thought she’d left behind. Written by Andrew Black & Vivian Lee, and James Berg & Stan Zimmerman, the movie is scheduled to go into production in early 2013.
“We are so pleased to partner with a tremendous network like ABC Family,” said Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios. “25 Days of Christmas is one of the biggest cable programming events of the year and is the perfect release platform for this engaging holiday title.”
“ABC Family is the destination for holiday programming and is known for great original holiday movies. We’re thrilled to partner with WWE Studios and bring WWE’s passionate fan base to ABC Family and our wonderful 25 Days of Christmas programming event with such a fun movie,” added Kate Juergens, Executive Vice President, Original Series Programming and Development, ABC Family.
The Miz has been a devoted WWE fan his whole life, and most recently starred in WWE’s film The Marine 3: Homefront. MTV’s Real World alum Mike “The Miz” Mizanin competed on the fourth season of WWE’s reality show Tough Enough in hopes of winning a contract to become a WWE Superstar. After finishing as the runner-up, The Miz didn’t give up on his dream and continued to train once the show concluded. Now, his hard work is being rewarded as the reality TV Star with the frat boy looks, sophomoric humor and explosive intensity is living out his dream at the top of the WWE roster.
Bradley Buchanan, Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs, negotiated on behalf of WWE Studios.
WWE Superstars have finished most of the voiceovers for the WWE Studios Scooby Doo movie. Some talents may be brought back for more work if there are re-writes made.
The plan is to release the movie in the Spring of 2014, before WrestleMania 30, with the idea that the Mystery Inc. crew goes to WrestleMania to solve a mystery that threatens the show going on.
Here are the theater locations where WWE Studios’ The Day will be playing at beginning August 29th:
* Tempe, Arizona – Harkins Mills
* Universal City, California – Century 20 El Con
* Los Angeles – Rave Bridge Cinema, LA Live Stadium
* Miami, Florida – AMC Aventura 24
* Tampa, Florida – AMC Veterans 24
* Barrington, Illinois – AMC South Barrington
* Danvers, Massachusetts – AMC Libery Tree Mall
* Hanover, Maryland – Cinemark Egyptian 24
* Brooklyn Center, Minnesota – Regal Brooklyn Center 20
* New York City – AMC Empire 25
* Valley View, Ohio – Cinemark 24 Valley View
* Plano, Texas – Cinemark West Plano 20
Randy Orton, David Otunga and The Miz worked WWE Studios’ screening of The Day in Los Angeles last night, in front of several hundred fans. The movie hits theaters on August 29th but the cast of the movie is already pushing for a sequel or a prequel.
The Day actors Dominic Monaghan, Ashley Bell and Michael Eklund, plus director Doug Aarniokoski spoke at the screening. Aarniokoski revealed that they shot the movie in just two weeks.
There has been at least some talk of doing away with Brodus Clay’s Funkasaurus gimmick. Clay’s role in the WWE Studios horror movie No One Lives may have something to do with that.
Many backstage officials also feels as if the current gimmick has already run its course and is getting stale pretty fast. Prior to the “Funkasaurus” gimmick, there was talks of him being a monster heel. That could be the new plan.
David Otunga is being advertised for WWE’s upcoming tour of Australia (8/30-9/1), which would be his first appearance since filming the WWE Studios movie “The Hive” with Halle Berry.
John Laurinaitis has also been advertised for your, but was recently removed from the list of superstars on the WWE Live Events Page. Laurinaitis serves as a producer/agent at WWE live events, so he could still appear on the tour.
Credit – WrestlingNewsWorld
The plummeting stock price of WWE hasn’t been easy for investors (even with someone like me with a small position currently down over 37%) but the Greenwich Time reported today Vince and Linda McMahon are down $500 million.
Critics of the McMahons have asserted they care more about winning a Senate seat than they do about their shareholders. WWE has fired back by pointing towards the horrible year by WWE Studios as the reason for their stock slide.
Click here for coverage by the Greenwich Time.
The following trailer has been released for WWE Studios’ The Day, which hits theaters on August 29th:
Speaking of WWE Films, David Otunga is about to begin filming for The Hive. The movie will feature Hollywood star Halle Berry. Otunga is expected to be off TV similar to The Miz while filming for the movie takes place. Otunga debuted a new look for the film, shaving off his signature goatee. Here is a pic below:
