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Austin, WWE sign movie deal
By
JON WALDMAN -- SLAM! Wrestling
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  Austin and McMahon have made up (again). |
World Wrestling Entertainment is getting ready to toast Tinsletown with a couple
Steveweisers, as WWE has announced a motion picture deal with Stone Cold
Steve Austin.
Austin, who was with the Stamford, Conn. based company from the mid-1990s through
last year, has signed on for a three-film commitment with WWE Films. The agreement
marks the first time Austin has worked with WWE since Wrestlemania XX, where
he worked as a guest referee for a match between Bill Goldberg and Brock Lesnar.
The first film will be The Condemned, written by Rob and Andrew Hedden,
who previously wrote the script for Clockstoppers (2002).
WWE Films is a new venture by the Fed, who in the past has branched outside
of wrestling into the music and literary disciplines. Currently, two projects
are underway, including Goodnight, which stars Raw wrestler Kane, and
The Marine, which features current United States Champion John Cena as
well as Kelly Carlson (Nip/Tuck) and Robert Patrick (Terminator 2).
Vince McMahon, chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., sees great
opportunities for his stable of wrestlers on the big screen. "Having successfully
submerged itself in the world of television and generated a host of superstar
talent, WWE(R) is ideally positioned to bring its unique and powerful cultural
sensibility to the motion picture industry," McMahon said in a release.
"I am extremely excited about showcasing the talents of Stone Cold Steve
Austin, John Cena and Kane; as well I truly believe these and other WWE
Superstars will achieve new artistic and commercial successes on the big screen."
In December, McMahon expressed hope for the future of WWE Films to SLAM! Wrestling's Greg Oliver. "[WWE Films] will always open new doors for us. Again, the action-adventure stars of today are only found in the WWE, nowhere else in the world. We'll make the migration to film when we want to."
Austin, one of the most popular wrestlers in the history of the squared-circle,
will soon be seen in a remake of The Longest Yard.
-- with files from businesswire.com
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Jon Waldman has been with SLAM! Wrestling since 2000. This article is property
of Sun Media and cannot be reproduced without consent.
