Rumor Mill - WWE Re-Writes Script for 2015 Movie to Replace CM Punk, WWE Distancing Themselves

WWE is facing an issue with CM Punk being tied to a lot of licensing and future projects. Word from someone working on WWE Studios' Flinstones movie that comes out in 2015 reports that the script is being re-written for another Superstar to replace Punk's character, likely Rey Mysterio.

WWE is really trying to distance themselves from CM Punk and not use any Punk material, as seen with them removing him from WrestleMania recap video packages and other media. Regarding the 24 episodes of Slam City that are completed, WWE couldn't take Punk's character out because they've been done for months but they will be downplaying his involvement.

The Camp WWE adult cartoon that is expected to hit the WWE Network this year will also likely be re-done now that Punk has left the company.

WWE Studios to Remake French Comedy ‘Queens of the Ring’

After partnering with Warner Bros. on the French production “Les Reines Du Ring,” which was released theatrically in the country last summer, WWE Studios has acquired U.S. distribution and worldwide remake rights to the comedy.

Jean-Marc Rudnicki directed the film about a mother attempting to reconnect with her estranged son who is a passionate WWE fan. To grab her son’s attention, she embarks on a rigorous training program to become a WWE Diva and enlists her colleagues at a supermarket to join her journey to become the “Queens of the Ring.”

Fabrice Goldstein, Antoine Rein and Thomas Langmann (“The Artist”), produced the comedy, that starred Marilou Berry, Nathalie Baye, Andre Dussollier, Audrey Fleurot, and featured WWE stars Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and Eve Torres.

“We are excited to acquire distribution and remake rights to a wonderfully entertaining comedy like ‘Queens of the Ring,’” said Michael Luisi, president of WWE Studios. “This film gives WWE Studios the opportunity to introduce a feel good story to a broad audience, while serving up a film we know our core fans will also enjoy.”

Bradley Buchanan, senior VP of business affairs, negotiated the deal on behalf of WWE Studios.

Warner Bros. and WWE Studios are also behind “Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery,” out on homevideo on March 25, followed by an animated “Flintstones” film.

Upcoming projects for WWE Studios also include a big screen adaptation of the TV show “The Fall Guy” set to star Dwayne Johnson, with Hyde Park Entertainment; the Aaron Eckhart horror thriller “Incarnate,” with Blumhouse Prods.; sequels to “Jingle All the Way” and “The Marine” with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment; abd “Leprechaun: Origins,” starring WWE’s Hornswoggle, which Lionsgate will release in August, and the Soska Sisters’ “See No Evil 2″ in October.

Vince McMahon conference call coverage: Operating income loss in quarter; incomplete answers on television negotiations and carriage of WrestleMania XXX; expected losses in 2014

Vince McMahon and members of senior management hosted a conference call pertaining to the 2013 fourth quarter report that was released on February 20, 21014. The following are the highlights of the call.

-The call was hosted by WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, WWE CFO George Barrios, and WWE Investor Relations Michael Weitz.

-Vince touted increases in live event attendance, TV viewership, and social media reach. He also touted some of their new product lines and the new UK television deal.

-Vince mentioned that they had left their negotiating window with NBCU and they were in the marketplace for the first time in long time.

-He hyped the WWE Network launch on Monday and said "most" of their traditional pay-per-view carriers have agreed to carry WrestleMania XXX with a month-to-month approach to events after that.

-George Barrios took over the call and read through the financial report. He announced an OBIDA loss for fourth quarter based primarily on spending for the WWE Network and film impairment charges, but that their year-end OIBDA results were within expected results.

-Barrios said that with the addition of Total Divas this year, WWE reaches 14.2 million viewers on average each week.

-Average attendance for the quarter were up four percent for the quarter and two percent for the year with a seven percent increase in ticket prices.

-Barrios touted Total Divas increasing viewership by over 150 percent from the programming it replaced on the E! Network.

-Barrios again repeated their belief that they can double or triple the 2012 $60 million OIBDA level by 2015. He listed their American and Indian television deals, as well as the WWE Network as how they would do that.

-Barrios said they expect expansion of the Network to the UK, Canada, Australia, and Nordic countries by the end of the year or early 2015.

-Barrios said to expect losses early in 2014 because of costs to launch the WWE Network and other investments. He said they expect a 2014 first quarter loss of $12 to $15 million.

-The call was turned over to questions. Barrios refused to answer a question about how many companies were interested in their TV shows but said they were optimistic about the negotiations since all of their properties are available at the same time.

-Barrios also refused to give an estimate about how many subscribers they expected to have by WrestleMania but repeated the "one million by the end of the year" line for expected total subscribers.

-A caller asked about the excitement level for WrestleMania XXX from fans and Vince said he felt like they were on track to have a big year.

-Vince simply said CM Punk was "on sabbatical" when asked for an update.

-A caller challenged why WWE was in the movie business. Vince said they understood characters and story lines and already had a set of stars to use. He talked about changing the models for the studio and when asked about how long they would take to decide if the studio was working, Barrios said they were seeing a better return under their new model and would continue to evaluate with each film.

-A caller asked about WrestleMania coverage and Barrios said they expected to be available in 85 percent of the US households. He refused to discuss who was and was not carrying the PPV.

source: prowrestling.net

Jingle All The Way 2 and The Marine 4 to Start Production from WWE Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

WWE Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today announced the next two films that will begin production as part of their continued collaboration. This March, cameras will start rolling on JINGLE ALL THE WAY 2, the sequel to the 1996 hit comedy JINGLE ALL THE WAY. Starring Larry the Cable Guy (Tooth Fairy 2, Cars) and featuring WWE Superstar “Santino Marella®” the film is directed by Alex Zamm (Tooth Fairy 2, Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollar Mutts) and will release this 2014 holiday season.

Also announced is the fourth installment of THE MARINE franchise, the eighth collaboration between WWE Studios and Twentieth Century Fox including the theatrical releases of THE MARINE and 12 ROUNDS. Shooting this April, THE MARINE 4 will star WWE Superstar Mike “The Miz®” Mizanin, who will be the first WWE Superstar to reprise his role in THE MARINE franchise, and will also feature “Summer Rae™,” the first WWE Diva to be featured in a WWE Studios production...More?

New Details And Artwork Revealed For WWE Studios' 'Scooby-Doo: WrestleMania Mystery'

The following extras will be featured on WWE Studios' "Scooby-Doo: WrestleMania Mystery" DVD and Blu-ray that comes out on March 25th:

* Behind the Scenes with Scooby-Doo and the WWE Gang: A behind the scenes look at the voice recording sessions with the cast of WWE.

* Wrestle Maniacs: Bonus "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" Episode.

Both DVD and Blu-ray will have a run-time of 1 hour and 24 minutes, including extras. A new synopsis has also been released, courtesy of WrestlingDVDNews.com:

"This all-new original movie delivers endless action with Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the rest of the gang! The mystery begins when Shaggy and Scooby win tickets to WrestleMania and convince the crew to go with them to WWE City.

But this city harbors a spooky secret – a ghastly Ghost Bear holds the town in his terrifying grip! To protect the coveted WWE Championship Title, the gang gets help from WWE Superstars like John Cena, Triple H, Sin Cara, Brodus Clay, AJ Lee, The Miz and Kane.

Watch Scooby and the gang grapple with solving this case before it's too late."

Scooby Doo to investigate mysteries at WWE WrestleMania

Always wondered what Scooby Doo would look like in a wrestling singlet? Craved to see John Cena fist drop a giant bear that is on fire? Well get yourself down to a DVD bargain bin where you will soon find a copy of ‘Scooby Doo: Wrestlemania Mystery’.

Scooby and Shaggy will forgo haunted houses and abandoned schools for one night only in order to solve a case at WWE’s flasgship event, aided by wrestlers like John Cena, Triple H, Kane and more.

The straight-to-DVD animated movie is a different direction for WWE Studios, who usually make films where up-and-coming superstars point guns at things and disappointingly don’t suplex any henchmen.

The trailer sees Scoob co-opt The Rock’s ‘Just bring it!’ catchphrase and even enter the squared circle himself for a tag-team match, the mystery oddly being not ‘what is the appeal of John Cena?’ but ‘why has a massive flaming bear been put in a cage match?’

source: metro.co.uk

Christmas Bounty Viewership

The premiere of WWE Studios' Christmas Bounty on ABC Family with The Miz in a starring role drew 828,000 viewers on Tuesday night. The movie drew a 0.3 cable rating in the Adult 18-49 demographic.

Mark Henry in New WWE Movie

WWE announced on Monday that Mark Henry has been cast in a cameo role for the movie “Incarnate.” The film is a WWE Studios project in conjunction with Blumhouse Productions and stars Aaron Eckhart. Click here for the official press release.

The Call Nominated

“The Call” was nominated for Favorite Thriller Movie in the People’s Choice Awards 2014. The film, considered to be the first hit under the new strategy of WWE Studios, starred Halle Berry with David Otunga in a supporting role. The People’s Choice Awards air on CBS on January 8, 2014.

WWE Studios and Film Roman Announce "Camp WWE" Irreverent Animated Web Series

WWE Studios and Film Roman announced today that they have entered into a co-financing and co-production agreement to produce up to thirteen, three-minute webisodes of a new animated series entitled CAMP WWE. Mike Benson of ENTOURAGE and THE BERNIE MAC SHOW will script the series.

From WWE STUDIOS and FILM ROMAN, the animation studio behind THE SIMPSONS and KING OF THE HILL, comes an irreverent new, adult comedy series about what the biggest, most outrageous WWE Superstars® were like as kids. CAMP WWE follows these unruly tykes as they body slam their way through their formative years. Proving to be a nightmare for teachers and other kids, their exhausted parents pack-up their future WWE Superstars with their masks, chains, kneepads and security blankets and send them off to Camp WWE, to be transformed into model citizens by the most terrifying counselor who ever lived, Mr. McMahon.

"Film Roman has been involved with some of the most well-known and humorous animated series,” said Michael Luisi, President WWE Studios. “They are the perfect partners for WWE Studios to capture our Superstars in a truly unique and fun way."

"CAMP WWE is a new and exciting project with a great creative team for Film Roman to be working on with WWE Studios and we are very bullish on its prospects for success. With a combination of their unique personalities, distinctive characteristics and huge built-in loyal fan base, WWE Superstars make for ideal animation subjects in CAMP WWE," said Dana Booton, General Manager for Film Roman. "We are very pleased to be working with WWE Studios and hope that it will begin a mutually beneficial, long-term business relationship."

Soska Twins Want Kane's Character to Become a Horror Icon

The Soska Twins, who are directing WWE's See No Evil 2, talked to Fangoria.com about wanting to make Kane's Jacob Goodnight character a horror movie icon. Jennifer Soska said:

"It was a key consideration of ours to take the character and bring him to the level of Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees. He has all the makings of a horror icon, and the most important thing for us was to bring him there. Some people have been saying it's going to be just another slasher film, or since he's in a morgue it's going to be a haunted house-esque movie. But I can guarantee you that everything people are expecting is going to be blown away when the film comes out."

The Rock Confirms WWE Studios Movie Role

The unknown stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter.. Fired up to play the role. Cool, bad ass & fun #TheFallGuy http://t.co/XdCvkgES6J

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 12, 2013

This confirms an earlier report from the Hollywood Reporter about the Rock being slated to star in the Fall Guy movie based off the 1980s television series with WWE Studios as a co-producer. This will be the first movie the Rock has done with WWE Studios.

Dwayne Johnson Eyes ‘Fall Guy’ Film Produced by WWE Studios, Hyde Park

Dwayne Johnson is in negotiations to star in a feature film version of the TV show “The Fall Guy” that Hyde Park and WWE Studios will produce and co-finance.

Deal is significant since it would mark the first major movie Johnson will work with WWE Studios on, should the deal close. WWE had small stakes in other Johnson pics “The Rundown” and “The Scorpion King” after Johnson left WWE to pursue a film career. He started his career with WWE as “The Rock” and recently returned to the ring to headline “WrestleMania” over the past two years...More?

source: variety.com

WWE, Anchor Bay Team For Jason Momoa’s Directing Debut ‘Road To Paloma’

WWE Studios and Anchor Bay Films has acquired distribution rights in North America, the United Kingdom and Australia/New Zealand to Road to Paloma, the directorial debut of Jason Momoa. Momoa played the title role in Conan the Barbarian, and was last seen playing Khal Drogo in HBO’s Game Of Thrones. Road To Paloma will be released in the U.S. later this year, and is produced by Momoa and Brian Andrew Mendoza’s Pride of Gypsies with Jamey Pryde serving as executive producer. Robert Homer Mollohan co-wrote the film with Jonathan Hirschbein and Momoa.

In Road to Paloma, Momoa stars as Robert Wolf, a Native American, who is being hotly pursued by the FBI for taking the law into his own hands after thugs rape and kill his mother on their reservation. Wolf crosses paths with Cash (Mollohan), a down and out musician, and an unlikely bond is formed as they motorcycle across the vast highways of the American West in search of redemption.

Momoa is currently starring in The Red Road, a scripted series for The Sundance Channel. He seems like a pretty decent guy; when I interviewed Game Of Thrones exec producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff, they said that while they have become accustomed to routinely killing their cast, the guy that was hardest was Drogo, because they so loved hanging out with Momoa.

“Jason is a genuine triple threat with his writing, directing and, of course, acting talent. He has delivered a gritty, provocative and powerful film. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce it to audiences through our continued collaboration with our partners at Anchor Bay,” said WWE Studios President Michael Luisi, who made the deal with Anchor Bay’s Kevin Kasha.

The film also stars Lisa Bonet, Sarah Shahi, Michael Raymond-James, Wes Studi, Timothy V. Murphy, and Chris Browning.

source: deadline.com

WWE Studios, Lionsgate Scare Up ‘See No Evil’ Sequel

WWE Studios is bringing “See No Evil” back to life, producing a sequel with Lionsgate to the horror film that will again star wrestler Kane as a psychopath that goes on a killing spree.

“See No Evil” was the first film that WWE produced through its film division, and went on to earn $19 million worldwide when it was released in 2006 — its biggest hit until this year’s Halle Berry thriller “The Call,” which generated $52 million to date.

Production on “See No Evil 2″ will start in the fall, with identical twin helmers the Soska Sisters Jen and Sylvia (“American Mary”) set to direct. They are also among the directors that will contribute to the anthology series “ABCs of Death 2.”

Kane will return as the reclusive madman Jacob Goodnight, who rises from the dead in the city morgue after his killing spree at the Blackwell hotel and goes after a group of medical students who fight to survive. Nathan Brookes and Bobby Lee Darby are co-writing the script...More?

source: variety.com

WWE Studios Film Helps Company Reach Milestone

“The Call” not only helped WWE turn around its film division, becoming the biggest hit for WWE Studios when the Halle Berry thriller went on to earn nearly $52 million domestically in March. But the movie has now become the 3 billionth rental for Redbox...More?

source: variety.com

WWE and Warner Bros. Head to Bedrock

Warner Bros. and WWE Studios (NYSE:WWE) today announced they are once again teaming up; this time to co-produce a Flintstones animated movie to be released in early 2015.

Fred, Barney and the whole Bedrock gang join up with Vince McMagma (Vince McMahon), and WWE Superstars and Divas including John Cenastone (John Cena®) and CM Punkrock (CM Punk®) as part of the very first WWE main event.

“WWE is family-friendly entertainment, so partnering with Warner Bros. on a Flintstones/WWE project was a natural extension of our Scooby Doo deal,” said Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios. “This new, animated feature allows us to showcase our brand with young fans and loyal Flintstones enthusiasts alike.”

“Warner Bros. is thrilled to continue our partnership with WWE Studios as we begin production of the latest Flintstones animated feature,” said Jeff Brown. “Our recent production collaborations have proven successful and we have the utmost confidence that the latest tag team between the WWE Superstars and The Flintstones will deliver the same results.”

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will handle worldwide distribution on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD and digital download. The film will be co-produced by Warner Bros. Animation and WWE Studios. WWE will utilize its extensive global reach through its television, digital media and print assets to market the release of the film.

2013 WWE Business Partner Summit Presentation

During WrestleMania week, WWE presented the company's strategic plans at its annual Business Partner Summit.

Highlights from the Summit, found in the video above, include a discussion around market growth in key areas such as diversification of content, brand strength, global expansion, talent development and product innovation.

WWE’s senior management team spoke about these plans and highlighted the following:

Company’s Financial Outlook, Launch of the WWE Network and International Expansion (George Barrios, Chief Financial Officer)

Content Development and Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies (Michelle Wilson, Chief Marketing Officer)

Social Media Development and Gamification (Perkins Miller, Executive Vice President, Digital Media)

Expanding Content Beyond the Ring and Growing Social Media Presence and Second Screen Experience (Stephanie McMahon, Executive Vice President,Creative)

WWE Studio’s Strategy, Partnerships and Movie Slate for2013-14 (Michael Luisi, President, WWE Studios)

New Product Development and Strategies (Casey Collins, Executive Vice President, Consumer Products)

Live Event Experience, Talent Development and Unveiling of WWE Performance Center (Paul Levesque, Executive Vice President, Talent and Live Events)

You can view the video here.

‘The Call’ Dials Up WWE’s Film Biz

Halle Berry is now WWE’s top star at the box office.

“The Call,” the thriller in which the actress stars, has crossed the $45 million mark and is expected to surpass $50 million by the end of its domestic run. It’s easily WWE’s top-grossing film it’s produced and financed. It’s other top earners were 2006’s “See No Evil” ($19 million worldwide) and John Cena vehicle “12 Rounds” ($17 million) in 2009.

It’s the kind of success WWE’s film division has long been looking for after pumping out a string of low-budget action, horror, and more recently, Hallmark-style dramas. But after taking the reigns of WWE Studios, in 2011, former Miramax executive Michael Luisi is finding a new strategy is starting to pay off for the company.

WWE Studios co-produced “The Call” with Troika Pictures, splitting the film’s roughly $13 million budget. Sony’s TriStar Pictures released the pic March 15.

It’s that kind of deal WWE Studios is looking to broker for most its films — mitigate the risk on projects through co-productions and find a studio partner to put some marketing and distribution muscle behind the releases.
Luisi’s first release as president of WWE Studios was last fall’s “The Day,” a horror pickup from the Toronto Film Festival that Anchor Bay gave a limited release but has sold well on homevideo.

However, March was a busy month for the division. “In a 10-day period we had three movies in the marketplace,” Luisi said...More?

source: variety.com

WWE Investors Have Eye on Network, Box Office

Try telling a hardcore fan that WrestleMania 29 at MetLife Stadium on Sunday won’t be the biggest event in World Wrestling Entertainment this year and you might meet some resistance.

But investors and analysts watching the WWE’s stock, which closed at $8.75 per share yesterday, have their eyes set on cable subscribers and the box office.

While fans thrive on the WWE’s live matches, investors would love to see the company turn more than 100,000 hours of old content into gold.

In late 2011, the Stamford, Conn.-based company announced plans to create the WWE Network which would air live event replays, the franchise’s weekly Raw and SmackDown matches, reality shows that follow the franchise’s bombastic characters and children’s programming.

The plan then was to debut the network in 2012, but it never happened.

WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon addressed the matter head-on during the company’s 2012 fourth quarter earnings call in February.

"Although we did not announce the launch of a domestic television network during the year, we believe, now more than ever, that we can realize the full value of our intellectual property using a variety of approaches in our global markets," he said. "Our confidence is based on the rising value of content and the tremendous global appeal of our brands."

Of the 4 million people who bought WWE matches on pay-per-view last year, 1.2 million opted for the WrestleMania 28 broadcast from Miami. Although that broke the company’s pay-per-view records, it seems unlikely the number of viewers who pay to watch the matches from home will surge back to 2005 levels.

"If you go back to 2005, that was the peak for the company. They did 6 million pay-per-view buys that year," said Bradley Safalow, an analyst at PAA Research based in New York. "Some of the decline in pay-per-view is a function of ongoing trends in the media space. Some of it has to do with the company’s own creative arc in terms of relative popularity."

Although John Saboor, the WWE’s senior vice president of special events, has said otherwise, Safalow doubts this weekend’s event will top last year’s Miami event in terms of pay-per-view buys...More?

source: nj.com