WWE and Lionsgate team up for ‘Action Six Pack’

A half dozen action flicks starring WWE superstars are on the way courtesy of the team-up.

The WWE, outside of wrestling where it still holds a stranglehold, has started to make a name for itself in the film world. Though you probably couldn’t call any of the movies that the wrestling mega-corp has turned out in the last few years a blockbuster, they have nonetheless made their presence known. Now that they’ve re-teamed with Lionsgate under a new agreement, that presence is only going to get bigger.

With a stable of movies that already includes The Condemned and See No Evil, the teaming will now move onto a total of six action films will be produced under the new agreement. Starring both WWE superstars and new and upcoming talent in the film world, the two companies want the movies to be “incubators for new and emerging talent”, which should mean for some fun down and dirty action flicks to body slam film fans.

The first movie in the set (Vendetta) will feature Paul Wight, otherwise known as the Big Show. The movie will star the giant athlete as a detective sentenced to a crime that he intentionally committed in order to get tossed in  jail. Why would you do that? To hunt the man, currently serving a life sentence, who killed his wife

Directed by the sisterly duo of Jen and Sylvia Soska and written by Justin Shady, Vendetta will just be the first on the docket for Lionsgate and the WWE. It’s a series of movies that the companies expect to be profitable for both.

“This collection of six high octane films will not only excite our fans, but provide a stage for emerging and talented filmmakers like the Soska Sisters,” said Michael Luisi, WWE Studios President. He added, “We couldn’t have a better partner in this enterprise than Steve Beeks and the team at Lionsgate, who have been great teammates and are proven distributors of this genre.”

“We’re thrilled to join forces with Michael and his WWE team on a series of modestly-budgeted action films that extend our longstanding and successful partnership,” said Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks.  “We have a strong track record in this genre, and we’re delighted to team with the WWE juggernaut to deliver action-packed event films that will resonate with their global fan base and beyond.”