WWE Studios Inc. (formerly known as WWE Films) is an American film studio owned by the
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
promotion
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
. 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. WWE Studios released the film on DVD in 2012.
WWE Studios was formed in 2002 as WWE Films,
and was seen as "a natural extension of the entertainment business" that they already featured in the weekly ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'' and ''
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
'' television programs. Joel Simon was named as President of the WWE Films and Jed Blaugrund as vice president.
WWE announced the first three film projects in January 2005; ''
The Condemned
''The Condemned'' is a 2007 action film written and directed by Scott Wiper. The film stars Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones, Robert Mammone, Tory Mussett, Madeleine West and Rick Hoffman.
The film centers on ten convicts who are forced to fight eac ...
'', starring
Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
, ''
The Marine
''The Marine'' is a 2006 American action film directed by John Bonito, and starring professional wrestler John Cena in his acting debut. It was executive produced by Vince McMahon through the film production division of WWE, called WWE Studi ...
'', starring
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
, and ''Goodnight'', later retitled as ''
See No Evil'', starring
Kane. Both of these independent film projects were genre films that cost $20 million to star his wrestlers.
In 2008, the name was changed to WWE Studios. On February 25, 2008, WWE had signed a deal with
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...
that Fox received to WWE that they would get one theatrical film and four straight-to-DVD movies. The move was designed to expand into production of scripted television series and films for networks.
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
''That's What I Am'' is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Michael Pavone and starring Ed Harris and Chase Ellison. It received a limited release on April 29, 2011, and was later released on DVD on July 15, 2011.
Plot
Set in one of th ...
'' starring
Ed Harris
Edward Allen Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor and filmmaker. His performances in ''Apollo 13'' (1995), '' The Truman Show'' (1998), '' Pollock'' (2000), and '' The Hours'' (2002) earned him critical acclaim and Academy Award ...
as a schoolteacher accused of fondling kids. In December 2009, it was announced that
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades in ...
and
Danny Glover would star in the WWE Studios and
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Samuel Goldwyn Films is an American film company that licenses, releases and distributes art-house, independent and foreign films. It was founded by Samuel Goldwyn Jr., the son of the Hollywood business magnate/mogul, Samuel Goldwyn. The curr ...
co-production of ''
Legendary
Legendary may refer to:
* Legend, a folklore genre
* Legendary (hagiography)
** Anjou Legendarium
* J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium
Film and television
* ''Legendary'' (film), a 2010 American sports drama film
* ''Legendary'', a 2013 film fea ...
'' along with WWE wrestler
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
. Around the same time, the film announced production had been completed on another co-production with Samuel Goldwyn Films, the comedy ''
Knucklehead'', which starred WWE wrestler
Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
. Further projects were announced in 2010 with WWE wrestlers in lead roles, with ''
The Chaperone'' starring
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
, which was released in February 2011, and ''
Bending the Rules
Gaming the system (also rigging, abusing, cheating, milking, playing, working, or breaking the system, or gaming or bending the rules) can be defined as using the rules and procedures meant to protect a system to, instead, manipulate the system ...
'' starring
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
, which was released in March 2012. These initial releases were largely unsuccessful financially.
In February 2012, WWE Studios agreed to a new three-film deal with
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of Wa ...
to produce, finance and market three
straight-to-DVD titles, including ''
The Marine 3: Homefront'' starring
The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fa ...
, having previously worked with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on the previous films in the franchise, ''
The Marine
''The Marine'' is a 2006 American action film directed by John Bonito, and starring professional wrestler John Cena in his acting debut. It was executive produced by Vince McMahon through the film production division of WWE, called WWE Studi ...
'' 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. Also that year, WWE Studios had signed a deal with
Lionsgate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
in order to work on upcoming projects, most notably a ''
Leprechaun
A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. ...
'' project via a two-picture deal between the two studios.
In April 2012, WWE Studios partnered with
Warner Bros. Entertainment France and producer
Thomas Langmann
Thomas Langmann (born 24 May 1971) is a French film producer and actor, known for producing '' The Artist'' (2011), for which he received an Academy Award for Best Picture as producer in 2012.
Career
Langmann began his career as an actor in his ...
to distribute French film ''Les Reines Du Ring'' in the United States and Canada, as well as the rights to remake the film, which was announced in 2014.
WWE Studios also produced ''No One Lives'' with Pathe Pictures, starring Luke Evans and WWE wrestler
Brodus Clay
George Murdoch (born February 21, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and cable news personality known by his ring/stage name Tyrus. As a wrestler, he is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is the reigning NWA World ...
, 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. 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. 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
Adam Bhala Lough is an American film director, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker from Fairfax, Virginia. Known for his ability to authentically dramatize subcultures and popular youth cultures, several of Lough’s films have been selected ...
.
WWE Studios and
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
co-produced a ''
Scooby-Doo
''Scooby-Doo'' is an American animated media franchise based on an animated television series launched in 1969 and continued through several derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series, ''Scooby-Doo, Where Are ...
'' animated feature that found Scooby and the gang solving a mystery at
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...
, which also starred an ensemble of WWE Superstars.
The movie released on March 25, 2014. On May 29, 2013, it was announced that WWE studios and Warner Bros would again team up to co-produce a ''
Flintstones
''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbor ...
'' animated movie to be released in early 2015.
WWE Studios most successful film to date is the 2013 release ''
The Call'', starring
Halle Berry and
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin (born April 14, 1996) is an American actress. She rose to prominence with the comedy-drama film ''Little Miss Sunshine'' (2006), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at ...
, which made close to $70 million at the box office,
despite a comparatively small budget of just $13m. The film opened at the US box office at No. 2 with 17 million in its first weekend.
It was further reported that WWE was looking at a potential sequel following the success of ''The Call''.
In 2013, WWE Studios and
Hyde Park Entertainment Hyde or Hydes may refer to:
People
*Hyde (surname)
*Hyde (musician), Japanese musician from the bands L'Arc-en-Ciel and VAMPS
American statutes
*Hyde Amendment, an amendment that places well-defined limitations on Medicare spending on aborti ...
announced a deal to work together on the film adaptation of the 1980s television series ''
The Fall Guy
''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who mo ...
''. The film will star
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he was integral to the develop ...
, who made his name as The Rock in WWE from 1996 to 2004 before becoming an actor, in his second WWE Studios production, with the first being ''
The Scorpion King
''The Scorpion King'' is a 2002 American sword and sorcery action adventure film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov and Michael Clarke Duncan. It is both a prequel and spin-off of ''The ...
''. In August 2014, a second collaboration between WWE Studios and Hyde Park was announced, with
Ken Jeong
Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (, ; born July 13, 1969) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, producer, writer and licensed physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the ...
,
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on ''The You ...
and
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
r
Hulk Hogan signed to star in a comedy ''
Killing Hasselhoff
''Killing Hasselhoff'' is a 2017 American action comedy film directed by Darren Grant, and starring Ken Jeong and David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and televis ...
''.
In February 2014, WWE announced the sequel to the 1996 film ''
Jingle All the Way
''Jingle All the Way'' is a 1996 American Christmas family comedy film directed by Brian Levant. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad as two rival fathers, mattress salesman Howard Langston (Schwarzenegger) and postal worker Myron Larab ...
'', to star
Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his persona Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, country music artist, and former radio personality.
He was one of the members of the ...
and WWE wrestler
Santino Marella
Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974) is a Canadian judoka and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is known for his 11-year tenure with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Santino Marella. He is the founder of and instructor at Battle Ar ...
.
In May 2014, it was announced that WWE had extended their partnership with
Lionsgate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered in ...
to release a further six films together, with the first two announced as ''
Vendetta
Vendetta may refer to:
* Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight
Film
* ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke
* ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes
* ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), a ...
'', starring
The Big Show and ''
12 Rounds 3: Lockdown'' starring
Dean Ambrose
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wres ...
. These group of six films have been referred as the ''Action Six-Pack Series''.
In November 2014, WWE announced a new partnership deal with
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. In March 2015, they announced a partnership with newly founded
Gene Simmons production company
Erebus Pictures and
in April 2015, WWE Studios teamed with British company
Richwater Films to co-produce and co-finance action-thrillers ''Eliminators'' and ''Rampage''.
In November 2017, WWE announced that WWE Studios will expand its mandate to include scripted, non-scripted, family, and animated television and digital content.
In February 2019, it was reported that WWE Studios and
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
came to an agreement that would see WWE Studios produce new family-friendly movies for Netflix's platform.
In July 2019, it was announced that WWE Studios will be producing its first television show, ''Fight Like A Girl'', for
Quibi
Quibi ( ) was a short-lived American short-form streaming platform that generated content for viewing on mobile devices. It was founded in Los Angeles in August 2018 as NewTV by Jeffrey Katzenberg and was led by Meg Whitman, its CEO. The serv ...
.
In March 2021, the
Game Show Network revealed at their upfront; they signed a deal with WWE Studios to develop shows hosted by WWE talent.
In March 2022,
A&E Network and WWE expanded their agreement for more episodes of ''Biography: WWE Legends'' and ''WWE's Most Wanted Treasure''. It was also announced a new series called ''WWE Rivals''. The deal between the company calls for additional content to be announced at a later date.
Filmography
Film
Television
Digital
Series
Streaming
Film
Series
Notes
References
External links
WWE Studios at WWE.com
{{Authority control
Film production companies of the United States
Film distributors of the United States
WWE
Mass media companies established in 2002
2002 establishments in California
Companies based in Los Angeles