I’m not a pro wrestling bash-er. I use to be a fan back in that big boom. I actually believe there is untapped talent in the organization, and am shocked that World Wrestling Entertainment has been unable to produce one single watchable movie.
That said, I think Vince McMahon should give up on his movie dreams. The last three efforts (See No Evil, The Marine, and The Condemned) have an average IMDb user rating of a 5.1 (which is pretty poor by even genre movie standards). Made for an estimated $50 million, the three films have made less than $41 million domestically. Lionsgate dumped the wrestling entertainment company, but the WWE have found another sucker in the form of the Fox genre arm, Fox Atomic.
WWE is teaming with Fox Atomic to produce 12 Rounds, an action film about a New Orleans police detective whose girlfriend is kidnapped. Star wrestler John Cena will star alongside Steve Harris, Aidan Gillen and Brian White. Hack action director Renny Harlin has been tapped to direct. Harlin, best known for directing Die Hard 2, has been recently involved in some of the worst genre movies of recent years: Driven, Exorcist: The Beginning and The Covenant.
Production begins on February 25th in New Orleans. Good luck with that. Let’s hope that the 133th round is direct to dvd.
source: Variety
February 15th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
i auctally thought Cena did a kinda good job at acting on the marine, just my personal opinion, i hope that Harlin does a good job on this movie and brings his film career back.
February 15th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
While I personally like all of Renny Harlin’s work I think hes made some pretty good flicks - Cliffhanger - Mindhunters - oh, i guess thats it…
nevermind.
February 15th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
These three movies were made for $43 million (if I HAVE to trust wikipedia). $43 million isn’t estimated $50 million. They are really rated 5.2 (using number of votes for each movie), they actually made $48.7 million worldwide threatrical (there is a world outside of the US, it should count), and a considerable $69.3 million in DVD sales!! (Funny how the DVD sales weren’t mentioned.)
Lionsgate didn’t dump WWE Films, WWE Films is a production company that shops around a movie for mainstream release. Actually Lionsgate was behind the two ‘best’ of the three (going by imdb vote ranking). They did the 1st and 3rd of your list of WWE Films.
In closing, it’s already been announced that with the success of DVD sales and the fraction (1/4 to 1/5) of the cost to release it that way, WWE Films is going Direct to DVD in the future.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Unfortunately most people don’t have any taste, at the Wal-Mart where I work we are asked pretty often for that John Cena movie, preferably in full screen. So Mcmahon makes crap, but he also still makes money.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
NO.
I’VE HAD ENOUGH JOHN CENA FOR 3 LIFETIMES!
fucking hell.
he’s already made the WWE incredibly monotonous, and now, this.
enough already. please.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
John Cena is not The Rock, and will never reach the heights of The Rock, either, so Vince should really stop hoping that that will happen.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
So, its the Marine… but with a cop instead of a marine? WWE has got the greatest script writers ever :sarcasm:
February 16th, 2008 at 5:51 am
I will have to see this just to find out where he places Finland’s flag in this one. The only enjoyable thing about Harlin’s movies is the search for the flag. Plastered up on a chain link fence in Driven…awesome.
February 16th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
The Condemned wasn’t actually a bad film. Pretty watchable.
February 17th, 2008 at 6:01 am
Unfortunately most people don’t have any taste, at the Wal-Mart where I work we are asked pretty often for that John Cena movie, preferably in full screen. So Mcmahon makes crap, but he also still makes money.
February 17th, 2008 at 6:01 am
he’s already made the WWE incredibly monotonous, and now, this.
enough already. please.
February 18th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
SO the WWE makes crappy films , yeah if they assume their audience stays the same it loses its originality which is why for all those of you disappointed in WWE not keeping things real like it used to be and myself having watched old matches and RAW since its debut on USA network.
I came across a movie site which is great in originality and those of you love to go to movies in arthouse theatres,etc. this is the one to see right away and keep posted.