WWE Studios
American film studio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WWE Studios Inc. (formerly known as WWE Films) is an American film studio owned by the professional wrestling promotion WWE, a division of TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. Founded on July 31, 2002, WWE Studios movies frequently mix well-known actors and actresses in lead roles with WWE wrestlers, and teams with existing production and distribution companies resulting in lower cost for both parties.
| |
| Formerly | WWE Films (2002–2008) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Film |
| Predecessor | Shane Distribution Company |
| Founded | July 31, 2002 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Ben Zierten (VP, Unscripted Production and Development) |
| Parent | WWE |
| Subsidiaries | WWE Studios Originals WWE Studios Finance WWE Films Development[1] |
| Website | WWE Studios |
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.[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 programs.[4] Joel Simon was named as President of the WWE Films and Jed Blaugrund as vice president.[3][5]
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.[6][7] Both of these independent film projects were genre films that cost $20 million.[8]
In 2008, the name was changed to WWE Studios.[9][10] On February 25, 2008, WWE had signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment that Fox received to WWE that they would get one theatrical film and four straight-to-DVD movies.[11] The move was designed to expand into production of scripted television series and films for networks.[12]
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.[13] 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.[14][15] 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.[16][17] Further projects were announced in 2010 with WWE wrestlers in lead roles, with The Chaperone starring Triple H,[18][19] which was released in February 2011,[20] and Bending the Rules starring Edge,[21][22] which was released in March 2012.[23][24] These initial releases were largely unsuccessful financially.[25]
In February 2012, WWE Studios agreed to a new three-film deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment to produce, finance and market three straight-to-DVD titles,[26] 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.[27] Also that year, WWE Studios had signed a deal with Lionsgate in order to work on upcoming projects, most notably a Leprechaun project via a two-picture deal between the two studios.[28]
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,[29][30] as well as the rights to remake the film, which was announced in 2014.[31][32]
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.[33] 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.[34] 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.[35] 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.[36] 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.[37]
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,[38] despite a comparatively small budget of just $13m.[39][40] The film opened at the US box office at No. 2 with 17 million in its first weekend.[38] It was further reported that WWE was looking at a potential sequel following the success of The Call.[41]
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 to 2004 before becoming an actor, in his second WWE Studios production, with the first being The Scorpion King.[42][43][44][45] 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 Killing Hasselhoff.[46][47]
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.[48][49]
In May 2014, it was announced that WWE had extended their partnership with Lionsgate Entertainment to release a further six films together,[50][51] with the first two announced as Vendetta, starring The Big Show[52] and 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown starring Dean Ambrose.[53][54] These group of six films have been referred as the Action Six-Pack Series.[55]
In November 2014, WWE announced a new partnership deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.[56] In March 2015, they announced a partnership with newly founded Gene Simmons production company Erebus Pictures and[57] in April 2015, WWE Studios teamed with British company Richwater Films to co-produce and co-finance action-thrillers Eliminators and Rampage.[58]
In November 2017, WWE announced that WWE Studios will expand its mandate to include scripted, non-scripted, family, and animated television and digital content.[59]
In February 2019, it was reported that WWE Studios and Netflix came to an agreement that would see WWE Studios produce new family-friendly movies for Netflix's platform.[60]
In July 2019, it was announced that WWE Studios will be producing its first television show, Fight Like a Girl, for Quibi.[61] It would later be moved to The Roku Channel following the closure of Quibi.[62]
In 2021, WWE Studios announced a partnership with A+E Networks to produce factual- and documentary-style programming chronicling WWE's history and talent, primarily for its cable network A&E. The partnership began with WWE-oriented episodes of the network's long-running Biography franchise, as well as the docuseries WWE's Most Wanted Treasures.[63][64] The partnership would later be expanded with additional series, including WWE Rivals,[65] and the reality talent search WWE LFG.[66]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | US release date | WWE Superstar(s) featured | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Scorpion King | April 19, 2002 | The Rock | Universal Pictures | Released as WWF Entertainment |
| 2003 | The Rundown | September 26, 2003 | First theatrical film released as WWE Films | ||
| 2004 | Walking Tall | April 2, 2004 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | ||
| 2006 | See No Evil | May 19, 2006 | Kane | Lionsgate | |
| The Marine | October 13, 2006 | John Cena | 20th Century Fox | ||
| 2007 | The Condemned | April 27, 2007 | Steve Austin | Lionsgate | Last theatrical film released as WWE Films |
| 2008 | Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia | September 19, 2008 | Mr. Kennedy | 20th Century Fox | Straight-to-video |
| 2009 | 12 Rounds | March 27, 2009 | John Cena | First theatrical film released as WWE Studios | |
| The Marine 2 | June 19, 2009 | Ted DiBiase Jr. | Straight-to-video | ||
| 2010 | Legendary | September 10, 2010 | John Cena | Samuel Goldwyn Films | |
| Knucklehead | October 22, 2010 | Big Show | |||
| 2011 | The Chaperone | February 18, 2011 | Paul "Triple H" Levesque | ||
| That's What I Am | April 29, 2011 | Randy Orton | |||
| Inside Out | September 9, 2011 | Paul "Triple H" Levesque | |||
| The Reunion | October 21, 2011 | John Cena | |||
| 2012 | Bending the Rules | March 9, 2012 | Edge | Entertainment One | |
| The Day | August 29, 2012 | Anchor Bay Films WWE Studios | Distribution only | ||
| Barricade | September 25, 2012 | WWE Studios | |||
| The Marine 3: Homefront | November 14, 2012 | The Miz | 20th Century Fox | Straight-to-video | |
| 2013 | Dead Man Down | March 8, 2013 | Wade Barrett | FilmDistrict | |
| The Call | March 15, 2013 | David Otunga | TriStar Pictures | ||
| No One Lives | May 10, 2013 | Brodus Clay | Anchor Bay Films | ||
| Queens of the Ring (Les reines du ring) | July 3, 2013 (France) July 25, 2014 (US) | Various cameos[a] | Image Entertainment | Theatrical Film (US) | |
| 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded | March 1, 2013 | Randy Orton | 20th Century Fox | Straight-to-video | |
| Christmas Bounty | November 26, 2013 | The Miz | Warner Bros. | TV movie | |
| 2014 | Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery | March 25, 2014 | Various voices[b] | Straight-to-video, animated | |
| Oculus | April 11, 2014 | Relativity Media | |||
| Road to Paloma | July 11, 2014 | Anchor Bay Entertainment WWE Studios | Distribution only | ||
| Leprechaun: Origins | August 22, 2014 | Hornswoggle | Lionsgate | ||
| See No Evil 2 | May 23, 2014 | Kane | Straight-to-video | ||
| Jingle All the Way 2 | June 27, 2014 | Santino Marella | 20th Century Fox | ||
| 2015 | Vendetta | June 12, 2015 | Big Show | Lionsgate | Straight-to-video, 1st installment in the Action Six-Pack series |
| The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! | March 10, 2015 | Various voices[c] | Warner Bros. | Straight-to-video, animated | |
| The Marine 4: Moving Target | April 21, 2015 | The Miz Summer Rae | 20th Century Fox | Straight-to-video | |
| 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown | September 11, 2015 | Dean Ambrose | Lionsgate | Straight-to-video, 2nd installment in the Action Six-Pack series | |
| The Condemned 2 | November 6, 2015 | Randy Orton | Straight-to-video | ||
| Santa's Little Helper | November 17, 2015 | The Miz Paige Maryse Ouellet | 20th Century Fox | ||
| 2016 | Countdown | November 30, 2016 | Dolph Ziggler Kane Various cameos[d] | Lionsgate | |
| Term Life | April 29, 2016 | Focus World | Limited release | ||
| Interrogation | July 1, 2016 | Edge Lana | Lionsgate | 3rd installment in the Action Six-Pack series | |
| Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon | July 26, 2016 (Digital HD) August 6, 2016 (Home video) | Various voices[e] | Warner Bros. | Straight-to-video, animated | |
| Incarnate | December 2, 2016 | Mark Henry | BH Tilt | ||
| Eliminators | June 24, 2016 | Wade Barrett | Universal Pictures | ||
| 2017 | Surf's Up 2: WaveMania | January 16, 2017 | Various voices[f] | Sony Pictures Animation | Straight-to-video, animated |
| The Resurrection of Gavin Stone | January 20, 2017 | Shawn Michaels | BH Tilt | ||
| The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania! | February 28, 2017 (Digital HD) March 14, 2017 (Home video) | Various voices[g] | Warner Bros. | Straight-to-video, animated | |
| Sleight | April 28, 2017 | Universal Pictures | Distribution only | ||
| Pure Country: Pure Heart | August 1, 2017 | Shawn Michaels | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment | Straight-to-video | |
| Armed Response | August 4, 2017 | Seth Rollins | Erebus Pictures | ||
| Birth of the Dragon | August 25, 2017 | BH Tilt | |||
| Killing Hasselhoff | August 29, 2017 | The Iron Sheik Hulk Hogan | Image Nation | Straight-to-video | |
| The Marine 5: Battleground | December 14, 2017 (Digital HD) March 28, 2017 (Home Video) | The Miz Maryse Ouellet Heath Slater Curtis Axel Bo Dallas Naomi | Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions | ||
| 2018 | The Marine 6: Close Quarters | November 13, 2018 | The Miz Becky Lynch Shawn Michaels | Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions | |
| Blood Brother | November 30, 2018 | R-Truth | CodeBlack Films | ||
| 2019 | Fighting with My Family | February 14, 2019 | The Rock Big Show Sheamus The Miz Zelina Vega | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (via Mirror Releasing) (United States) Lionsgate (United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) Universal Pictures (elsewhere) | |
| 2020 | Buddy Games | November 24, 2020 | Sheamus | Saban Films | |
| The Main Event | April 10, 2020 | Sheamus The Miz Kofi Kingston Beth Phoenix Mauro Ranallo Babatunde Aiyegbusi Keith Lee Mia Yim Otis Renee Young Corey Graves | Netflix | ||
| 2021 | Escape the Undertaker | October 5, 2021 | The Undertaker Kofi Kingston Big E Xavier Woods | [67] | |
| Rumble | December 15, 2021 | Becky Lynch Roman Reigns | Paramount Pictures Paramount Animation Walden Media Reel FX Animation Studios | ||
Television
| Year | Title | US release date | WWE Superstar(s) featured | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | André the Giant[68] | April 10, 2018 | Various Hall of Famers and Legends | HBO | Co-produced with HBO Sports, JMH Films, and Ringer Films |
| Miz & Mrs. | July 24, 2018 – July 25, 2022 | The Miz Maryse Mizanin |
USA Network | Co-produced with Bunim/Murray Productions | |
| 2020 | The Big Show Show[69] | April 6, 2020 – December 9, 2020 | Big Show | Netflix | Co-produced with Z+M Industrial Films and Northrock 6 |
| Fight Like a Girl[61] | April 13, 2020 | Alexa Bliss Becky Lynch Brie Bella Charlotte Flair Natalya Nia Jax Nikki Bella Sasha Banks Sonya Deville Stephanie McMahon | Quibi (original) The Roku Channel (acquisition following the closure Quibi) |
||
| 2021 | Biography: WWE Legends[70] | April 18, 2021 – present | Numerous Legends and Hall of Famers | A&E Network | |
| WWE's Most Wanted Treasures[71] | April 18, 2021 – present | Stephanie McMahon Paul "Triple H" Levesque AJ Francis Numerous Legends and Hall of Famers | |||
| 2022 | Corey & Carmella | February 28, 2022 | Corey Graves Carmella | YouTube | [72] |
| WWE Evil[73] | March 24, 2022 | Various WWE Superstars | Peacock | ||
| WWE Rivals[74] | July 10, 2022 – present | Various WWE Superstars, Legends, and Hall of Famers | A&E Network | ||
| WWE Smack Talk[75] | July 10, 2022 – September 4, 2022 | Booker T Jackie Redmond | |||
| 2024 | Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez[76] | February 2, 2024 | Montez Ford Bianca Belair | Hulu | Co-produced with Hulu |
| WWE: Next Gen[77] | April 1, 2024 | John Cena | The Roku Channel | Co-produced with A. Smith & Co. Productions and Hard Nocks South Productions | |
| Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal[78] | April 1, 2024 | Various WWE Superstars, Legends, and Hall of Famers | Peacock | ||
| 2025 | WWE LFG | February 16, 2025 – present | Various Hall of Famers and Legends | A&E Network | |
| Everything on the Menu With Braun Strowman | October 24, 2025 – present | Braun Strowman | USA Network | Executive producer: Triple H | |
Notes
- Cameos include: The Miz, CM Punk, Eve Torres.
- Voices include: Brodus Clay, Michael Cole, Kane, AJ Lee, Santino Marella, The Miz, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, John Cena, and Vince McMahon.
- Voices include: Brie Bella, The Undertaker, Nikki Bella, CM Punk, Vince McMahon, Rey Mysterio, Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry, and John Cena.
- Cameos include: Lana, Rusev, 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.
- Voices include: The Undertaker, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, Michael Cole, Paige, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Dusty Rhodes, The Miz, Rusev, Lana, Goldust, Stardust, Diego, Fernando, and El Torito.
- Voices include: The Undertaker, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, Paige, John Cena, Michael Cole and Vince McMahon.
- Voices include: Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Stardust, Michael Cole, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Alicia Fox, Big Show, Vince McMahon, and The Usos.