WWE Studios

WWE Studios Inc.
Formerly called
WWE Films (2002–2008)
Subsidiary
Industry Film
Founded 2002 (2002)
Headquarters Los Angeles, California United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Michael Luisi
(President)
Bradley Buchanan
(SVP, Business Affairs)
Parent WWE
Subsidiaries WWE Studios Originals
WWE Studios Finance
WWE Films Development[1]
Website WWE Studios

WWE Studios Inc.; commonly known as WWE Studios (formerly known as WWE Films) is a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of WWE which was created in 2002 as to develop and produce feature film properties for its wrestlers and personnel. WWE Studios movies frequently mix well-known actors and actresses in lead roles with WWE wrestlers, and teams with existing production and distribution companies to deliver the product at a cheaper cost for both parties.

History

Before the formation of WWE Studios, the WWF had produced the 1989 film No Holds Barred featuring Hulk Hogan under the Shane Distribution Company banner, a precursor to today's company. The film was given a DVD release in 2012.[2]

WWE Studios was formed in 2002 as WWE Films,[3] and was seen as "a natural extension of the entertainment business" that they already featured in the weekly Raw and SmackDown television programmes.[4] Joel Simon was named as President of the WWE Films and Jed Blaugrund as Vice President.[3][5] The name was changed to WWE Studios in 2008.[6][7]

WWE announced the first three film projects in January 2005; The Condemned, starring Steve Austin, The Marine, starring John Cena, and Goodnight, later retitled as See No Evil, starring Kane.[8][9]

In February 2009, WWE Studios announced the first film which would not feature a WWE wrestler as the lead, with That's What I Am starring Ed Harris as a schoolteacher accused of fondling kids.[10] In December 2009, it was announced that Patricia Clarkson and Danny Glover would star in the WWE Studios and Samuel Goldwyn Films co-production of Legendary along with WWE wrestler John Cena.[11][12] Around the same time, the film announced production had been completed another co-production with Samuel Goldwyn Films, the comedy Knucklehead, which starred WWE wrestler Big Show.[13][14] Further projects were announced in 2010 with WWE wrestlers in lead roles, with The Chaperone starring Triple H,[15][16] which was released in February 2011,[17] and Bending the Rules starring Edge,[18][19] which was released in March 2012.[20][21] These initial releases were largely unsuccessful financially.[22]

In February 2012, WWE Studios agreed a new three-film deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to produce, finance and market three straight-to-DVD titles,[23] including The Marine 3: Homefront starring The Miz, having previously worked with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on the previous films in the franchise, The Marine and The Marine 2. The deal also included the release of 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded starring Randy Orton, having together previously released 12 Rounds starring John Cena.[24]

In April 2012, WWE Studios partnered with Warner Bros. Entertainment France and producer Thomas Langmann to distribute French film Les Reines Du Ring in the United States and Canada,[25][26] as well as the rights to remake the film, which was announced in 2014.[27][28]

WWE Studios also produced No One Lives with Pathe Pictures, starring Luke Evans and WWE wrestler Brodus Clay, and acquired the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival cult hit The Day, starring Shawn Ashmore and Dominic Monaghan. WWE Studios has also acquired Interrogation, a suspense thriller by Adam Rodin.[29] WWE Studios then secured the rights to Bermuda, a found footage horror spec script by Bobby Lee Darby and Nathan Brookes, set in the Bermuda Triangle.[30] WWE Studios further announced a partnership with producer Edward R. Pressman and Jason Blum's Blum-Hanson-Allen films to develop Cruisin' for a Brusin', an action comedy to be written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough.[31] WWE Studios and Warner Bros. co-produced a Scooby-Doo animated feature that found Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at WrestleMania, which also starred an ensemble of WWE Superstars. The movie released on March 25, 2014.[32] On May 29, 2013, it was announced that WWE studios and Warner Bros would again team up to co-produce a Flintstones animated movie to be released in early 2015.[33]

WWE Studios most successful film to date is the 2013 release The Call, starring Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin, which made close to $70 million at the box office,[34] despite a comparatively small budget of just $13m.[35][36] The film opened at the US box office at #2 with 17 million in its first weekend.[34] It was further reported that WWE was looking at a potential sequel following the success of The Call.[37]

In 2013, WWE Studios and Hyde Park Entertainment announced a deal to work together on the film adaptation of the 1980s television series The Fall Guy. The film will star Dwayne Johnson, who made his name as The Rock in WWE from 1996–2004 before becoming an actor, in his second WWE Studios production, with the first being The Scorpion King.[38][39][40][41] In August 2014, a second collaboration between WWE Studios and Hyde Park was announced, with Ken Jeong, David Hasselhoff and WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan signed to star in a comedy tentatively known as Untitled Celebrity Death Pool.[42][43]

In February 2014, WWE announced the sequel to the 1996 film Jingle All the Way, to star Larry the Cable Guy and WWE wrestler Santino Marella.[44][45]

In May 2014, it was announced that WWE had extended their partnership with Lionsgate Entertainment to release a further six films together,[46][47] with the first two announced as Vendetta, starring The Big Show[48] and 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown starring Dean Ambrose.[49][50] These group of six films have been referred as the Action Six-Pack Series.[51]

In November 2014, WWE announced a new partnership deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.[52] And in the turn of the year, WWE had announced two new partnership deals. In March 2015, they announced a partnership with newly founded Gene Simmons production company Erebus Pictures and[53] in April 2015, WWE Studios teamed with British company Richwater Films to co-produce and co-finance action-thrillers Eliminators and Rampage.[54]

Filmography

Released

Year Title US Release Date Wrestler(s) Featured Distributor Notes
2002 The Scorpion King April 19, 2002 The Rock Universal Pictures as WWF Entertainment
2003 The Rundown September 26, 2003 The Rock Universal Pictures
2004 Walking Tall April 2, 2004 The Rock Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
2006 See No Evil May 19, 2006 Kane Lionsgate
2006 The Marine October 13, 2006 John Cena 20th Century Fox
2007 The Condemned April 27, 2007 Steve Austin Lionsgate Last theatrical film as WWE Films
2009 Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia January 6, 2009 Mr. Kennedy 20th Century Fox Straight-to-video
2009 12 Rounds March 27, 2009 John Cena 20th Century Fox First theatrical film as WWE Studios
2009 The Marine 2 December 29, 2009 Ted DiBiase
Hardcore Holly
20th Century Fox Straight-to-video
2010 Legendary September 10, 2010 John Cena Samuel Goldwyn Films
2010 Knucklehead October 22, 2010 Big Show Samuel Goldwyn Films
2011 The Chaperone February 18, 2011 Triple H Samuel Goldwyn Films
2011 That's What I Am April 29, 2011 Randy Orton Samuel Goldwyn Films
2011 Inside Out September 9, 2011 Triple H Samuel Goldwyn Films
2011 The Reunion October 21, 2011 John Cena Samuel Goldwyn Films
2012 Bending the Rules March 9, 2012 Edge WWE Studios
2012 The Day August 29, 2012 Anchor Bay Films
WWE Studios
Distribution only
2012 Barricade September 25, 2012 WWE Studios
2013 The Marine 3: Homefront March 5, 2013 The Miz 20th Century Fox Straight-to-video
2013 Dead Man Down March 8, 2013 Wade Barrett FilmDistrict
2013 The Call March 15, 2013 David Otunga TriStar Pictures
2013 No One Lives May 10, 2013 Brodus Clay Anchor Bay Films
2013 Queens of the Ring (Les reines du ring) July 3, 2013 (France)
November 11, 2014 (US)
The Miz2
CM Punk2
Eve Torres2
Image Entertainment Straight-to-video (US)
2013 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded June 4, 2013 Randy Orton 20th Century Fox Straight-to-video
2013 Christmas Bounty November 26, 2013 The Miz Warner Bros. TV movie
2014 Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery March 25, 2014 Various1 Warner Bros. Straight-to-video
2014 Oculus April 11, 2014 Relativity Media
2014 Road to Paloma July 11, 2014 Anchor Bay Entertainment
WWE Studios
Distribution only
2014 Leprechaun: Origins August 22, 2014 Hornswoggle Lionsgate
2014 See No Evil 2 October 21, 2014 Kane Lionsgate Straight-to-video
2014 Jingle All the Way 2 December 2, 2014 Santino Marella 20th Century Fox Straight-to-video
2015 The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! March 10, 2015 Various3 Warner Bros. Straight-to-video, animated
2015 The Marine 4: Moving Target April 21, 2015 The Miz
Summer Rae
20th Century Fox Straight-to-video
2015 Vendetta June 12, 2015 Big Show Lionsgate 1st installment in the Action Six-Pack series
2015 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown September 11, 2015 Dean Ambrose Lionsgate 2nd installment in the Action Six-Pack series
2015 The Condemned 2 November 6, 2015 Randy Orton Lionsgate
2015 Santa's Little Helper November 17, 2015 The Miz
Paige
20th Century Fox Straight-to-video
2016 Countdown April 5, 2016 Dolph Ziggler
Kane
Various4
Lionsgate Straight-to-video
2016 Term Life April 29, 2016 Focus World Straight-to-video, limited release
2016 Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon[55] August 9, 2016 Various5 Warner Bros. Straight-to-video, animated
2016 Interrogation[56] September 20, 2016 Edge
Lana
Lionsgate 3rd installment in the Action Six-Pack series[57]
2016 Incarnate December 2, 2016 Mark Henry Universal Pictures
  1. ^ Voices include: John Cena, Brodus Clay, Michael Cole, Kane, AJ Lee, Santino Marella, The Miz, Triple H, and Vince McMahon.
  2. ^ Cameos only.
  3. ^ Voices include: John Cena, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, The Undertaker, CM Punk, Vince McMahon, Rey Mysterio, Daniel Bryan, and Mark Henry.
  4. ^ Cameos include: Lana, Rusev,[58] Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Roman Reigns, Santino Marella, Dean Ambrose, Curtis Axel, Mark Henry, Big Show, Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, Randy Orton, Charles Robinson, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Viktor, Konnor, Sin Cara, Kalisto, Brock Lesnar, and Paul Heyman.
  5. ^ Voices include: The Undertaker, Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, Michael Cole, Paige, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Dusty Rhodes, The Miz, Rusev, Lana, Goldust, Stardust, Diego, Fernando, and El Torito.

Upcoming

Year Title US Release Date Wrestler(s) Featured Distributor Notes
2016 Eliminators December 6, 2016[59] Wade Barrett Universal Studios Home Entertainment Straight-to-video
2016 Brother's Blood [60] R-Truth[61] CodeBlack Films
2016 Temple[53] Seth Rollins[62] Erebus Pictures
2017 Surf's Up 2: Wavemania[63] January 17, 2017 Various2 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Straight-to-video, animated
2017 The Resurrection of Gavin Stone[64] January 20, 2017[65] Shawn Michaels WWE Studios
2017 Sleight[66] April 7, 2017 Universal Pictures
2017 The Marine 5: Battleground [67] The Miz
Maryse Ouellet
Heath Slater
Curtis Axel
Bo Dallas
Naomi
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Straight-to-video
2017 Mohawk[68] Luke Harper Snowfort Pictures
2017 Untitled Jetsons & WWE film[69] Various Warner Bros. Straight-to-video, animated
TBC The Fall Guy [70] The Rock DreamWorks
TBC Rampage[54] Richwater Films
TBC Long Shot[71] WWE Studios
TBC Untitled Gorgeous George film [72]
  1. ^ Voices include: John Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H, Paige, and Vince McMahon.

Box office performance

Film Release date Box office revenue Box office ranking Reference
Domestic Foreign Worldwide United States
See No Evil May 19, 2006 $15,032,800 $3,388,168 $18,420,968 #6 [73]
The Marine October 13, 2006 $18,844,784 $3,320,824 $22,165,608 #6 [74]
The Condemned April 27, 2007 $7,371,706 $1,263,477 $8,635,183 #9 [75]
12 Rounds March 27, 2009 $12,234,694 $5,045,632 $17,280,326 #7 [76]
Legendary September 10, 2010 $200,393 #38 [77]
Knucklehead October 22, 2010 $1,000 $7,927 $8,927 [78]
The Chaperone February 18, 2011 $14,400 $29,395 $43,795 [79]
That's What I Am April 29, 2011 $6,400 [80]
The Day August 29, 2012 $20,984 #71 [81]
Dead Man Down March 8, 2013 $10,895,295 $7,179,244 $18,074,539 #4 [82]
The Call March 15, 2013 $51,872,378 $16,700,000 $68,572,378 #2 [34]
No One Lives May 10, 2013 $74,918 #39 [83]
Oculus April 11, 2014 $27,695,246 $16,335,000 $44,030,246 #3 [84]

References

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  63. WWE Studios Buys Brett Dalton’s ‘Resurrection of Gavin Stone’
  64. GAVIN STONE – RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED
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External links

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