WWE Studios

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for clobbered parameters|check|nested=1|template=Infobox company|cat=Template:Main other|name; company_name|logo; company_logo|logo_alt; alt|trade_name; trading_name|former_names; former_name|type; company_type|predecessors; predecessor|successors; successor|foundation; founded|founders; founder|defunct; dissolved|hq_location; location|hq_location_city; location_city|hq_location_country; location_country|num_locations; locations|areas_served; area_served|net_income; profit|net_income_year; profit_year|owners; owner |homepage; website }}{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox company with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | ignoreblank=y | alt | area_served | areas_served | assets | assets_year | aum | brands | company_logo | company_name | company_type | defunct | dissolved | divisions | embed | equity | equity_year | fate | footnotes | former_name | former_names | foundation | founded | founder | founders | genre | homepage | hq_location | hq_location_city | hq_location_country | incorporated | image | image_alt | image_caption | image_size | image_upright | income_year | industry | ISIN | key_people | location | location_city | location_country | locations | logo | logo_alt | logo_caption | logo_class | logo_size | logo_upright | members | members_year | module | name | native_name | native_name_lang | net_income | net_income_year | num_employees | num_employees_year | num_locations | num_locations_year | operating_income | owner | owners | parent | predecessor | predecessors | production | production_year | products | profit | profit_year | rating | ratio | revenue | revenue_year | romanized_name | services | subsid | successor | successors | traded_as | trade_name | trading_name | type | website| qid | fetchwikidata | suppressfields | noicon | nocat | demo | categories }} 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. 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.

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

WWE Studios was formed in 2002 as WWE Films,<ref name="WWECreates">Template:Cite news</ref> and was seen as "a natural extension of the entertainment business" that they already featured in the weekly Raw and SmackDown television programs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Joel Simon was named as President of the WWE Films and Jed Blaugrund as vice president.<ref name="WWECreates"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Both of these independent film projects were genre films that cost $20 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2008, the name was changed to WWE Studios.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The move was designed to expand into production of scripted television series and films for networks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Further projects were announced in 2010 with WWE wrestlers in lead roles, with The Chaperone starring Triple H,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was released in February 2011,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Bending the Rules starring Edge,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> which was released in March 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These initial releases were largely unsuccessful financially.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as well as the rights to remake the film, which was announced in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="deadline1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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,<ref name="CallBMO">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> despite a comparatively small budget of just $13m.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The film opened at the US box office at No. 2 with 17 million in its first weekend.<ref name="CallBMO"/> It was further reported that WWE was looking at a potential sequel following the success of The Call.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In May 2014, it was announced that WWE had extended their partnership with Lionsgate Entertainment to release a further six films together,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with the first two announced as Vendetta, starring The Big Show<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown starring Dean Ambrose.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These group of six films have been referred as the Action Six-Pack Series.<ref name="ActionSix">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In November 2014, WWE announced a new partnership deal with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2015, they announced a partnership with newly founded Gene Simmons production company Erebus Pictures and<ref name="WWE horror">Template:Cite news</ref> in April 2015, WWE Studios teamed with British company Richwater Films to co-produce and co-finance action-thrillers Eliminators and Rampage.<ref name="WWE Studios UK">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In November 2017, WWE announced that WWE Studios will expand its mandate to include scripted, non-scripted, family, and animated television and digital content.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In July 2019, it was announced that WWE Studios will be producing its first television show, Fight Like A Girl, for Quibi.<ref name=":0" /> It would later be moved to The Roku Channel following the closure of Quibi.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In March 2022, A&E Network and WWE expanded their agreement for more episodes of Biography: WWE Legends and WWE's Most Wanted Treasures. 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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	The Rock	Universal Pictures	First theatrical film released as WWE Films
2004	Walking Tall	April 2, 2004	The Rock	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	20th Century Fox	First theatrical film released as WWE Studios
	The Marine 2	June 19, 2009	Ted DiBiase Jr.	20th Century Fox	Straight-to-video
2010	Legendary	September 10, 2010	John Cena	Samuel Goldwyn Films
	Knucklehead	October 22, 2010	Big Show	Samuel Goldwyn Films
2011	The Chaperone	February 18, 2011	Paul "Triple H" Levesque	Samuel Goldwyn Films
	That's What I Am	April 29, 2011	Randy Orton	Samuel Goldwyn Films
	Inside Out	September 9, 2011	Paul "Triple H" Levesque	Samuel Goldwyn Films
	The Reunion	October 21, 2011	John Cena	Samuel Goldwyn Films
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 Template:Small	July 3, 2013 (France) July 25, 2014 (US)	Various cameosTemplate:Efn	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 voicesTemplate:Efn		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	Straight-to-video
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 voicesTemplate:Efn	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	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	Straight-to-video
2016	Countdown	November 30, 2016	Dolph Ziggler Kane Various cameosTemplate:Efn	Lionsgate	Straight-to-video
	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 voicesTemplate:Efn	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 voicesTemplate:Efn	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 voicesTemplate:Efn	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	Straight-to-video
	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	Straight-to-video
2018	The Marine 6: Close Quarters	November 13, 2018	The Miz Becky Lynch Shawn Michaels	Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions	Straight-to-video
	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 Template:Small Lionsgate Template:Small Universal Pictures Template:Small
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	Netflix	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| April 6, 2020 – December 9, 2020 || Big Show || Netflix || Co-produced with Z+M Industrial Films and Northrock 6
	Fight Like a Girl<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| April 13, 2020 || Alexa Bliss Becky Lynch Brie Bella Charlotte Flair Natalya Nia Jax Nikki Bella Sasha Banks Sonya Deville Stephanie McMahon||Quibi Template:Small The Roku Channel Template:Small
2021	Biography: WWE Legends<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| April 18, 2021 – present || Numerous Legends and Hall of Famers || A&E Network||
	WWE's Most Wanted Treasures<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| April 18, 2021 – present || Stephanie McMahon Paul "Triple H" Levesque AJ Francis Numerous Legends and Hall of Famers || A&E Network ||
2022	Corey & Carmella	February 28, 2022	Corey Graves Carmella	YouTube	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| March 24, 2022 || Various WWE Superstars ||Peacock||
	WWE Rivals<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| July 10, 2022 – present ||Various WWE Superstars, Legends, and Hall of Famers ||A&E Network||
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| July 10, 2022 – September 4, 2022 || Booker T Jackie Redmond ||A&E Network||
2024	Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| February 2, 2024 || Montez Ford Bianca Belair|| Hulu||Co-produced with Hulu
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| April 1, 2024 || John Cena|| The Roku Channel||Co-produced with A. Smith & Co. Productions and Hard Nocks South Productions
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| 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

External links

• WWE Studios at WWE.com