This is the biggest week of the year for wrestling fans as Vince McMahon’s titan of a company, WWE hosts its 33rd annual supershow, WrestleMania from Orlando, Florida. While I know Geeks of Doom doesn’t always cover wrestling; (I’d quit my job and write full time if it did), one cannot deny the crossover appeal of pro wrestling, pop culture, and geek-based entertainment.
This is an industry that has spawned its own film company, and created some of the biggest stars in the world. Look no further than the highest grossing star in Hollywood right now, Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock. The Rock headlined wrestling’s Super Bowl 5 times and featured in some of the events greatest matches. Last year in Dallas, Texas at Cowboys Stadium, they set an indoor attendance record with 100,000 packed in, and wouldn’t you know who showed up with a flamethrower to commemorate the event… it was The Rock.
It was always a bit strange that no one had made a movie about the fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking life of wrestling legend and The Princess Bride star Andre the Giant.
In May of last year, we found out that this might change with word that a movie was finally being developed. The biggest challenge with that project, of course, is finding someone to actually play the giant.
Now comes word of another Andre project that’s on the way and doesn’t have to worry about casting someone to play the larger than life figure. It’s been announced that the WWE, HBO Sports, and Bill Simmons are teaming up to make a documentary simply titled Andre the Giant.
So you thought you’d heard it all, didn’t you? Read that headline one more time slowly, cross it off the list, and prepare for whatever wild and wacky new one surfaces tomorrow. It’s just another day in the world of geek.
It’s being reported that Warner Brothers is teaming up with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) to make a movie. Considering that the WWE has their own film production company and has for quite a while now, this should come as no great surprise. But what may be a little surprising is what they’re actually making.
According to the reports, the two companies will be making a new animated Scooby-Doo movie, in which the big mystery will be set at the wrestling powerhouse’s biggest yearly event, Wrestlemania.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press