Win a DVD Copy of 'Queens of the Ring' Featuring Appearances by CM Punk and The Miz

Ever wanted to step into the squared circle but weren't sure if you had what it takes to be a WWE superstar? The new film Queens of the Ring may be all the inspiration you need. We're giving away two DVD copies of WWE Studios and RLJ Entertainment's Queen of the Ring, which features appearances by former WWE World champions CM Punk, The Miz, and Divas champion Eve Torres. Here's the synopsis: In a desperate attempt to reconnect with her estranged son who is a passionate WWE fan, Rose (Berry) grabs his attention by joining a rigorous training program to learn to wrestle like a legitimate WWE Diva. She convinces her bored fellow cashiers at the local supermarket to join her challenging new adventure and together they become the “Queens of the Ring.”


To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Punchtab widget below. This contest ends on Thursday, November 13th so enter now!

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WWE Superstar Randy Orton to Star in 'The Condemned 2: Desert Prey'

Randy Orton may have suffered a crushing loss to his arch-nemesis John Cena at last night's Hell in the Cell PPV, but he's found a pretty good way to bounce back. WWE Studios is developing a sequel to one of their earliest hits, The Condemned, and they've tapped "The Viper" to be its star.

Variety reports Orton will lead The Condemned 2: Desert Prey, and it has a similar tournament-style premise as the original, which starred "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Orton will play "a former bounty hunter who finds himself on the run as part of a revamped Condemned tournament, in which convicts are forced to fight each other to the death as part of a game that’s broadcast to the public." WWE Studios-regular Roele Reine, who directed Orton in the terrible 12 Rounds: Reloaded, will be at the helm for this one as well.

The Condemned 2 will begin filming later this year, so don't be surprised if Orton's character is written out of TV for awhile. Meanwhile, check out these hilarious Vines of the Viper in action. RKO from outta nowhere!!!


No One Is Safe From Randy Ortons RKO. by e-mob

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Ken Jeong will Try to Kill Hulk Hogan and David Hasselhoff in New WWE Studios Comedy

The long-running feud between Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon, the one that had Hogan off WWE television for nearly a decade, came to an end earlier this year at WrestleMania, but you know he's back in their good graces when he's being put into movies. Variety reports Hogan will cameo, along with his pal David Hasselhoff, in an untitled comedy starring Ken Jeong.

Directed by Darren Grant (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), the WWE Studios feature working under the title “Untitled Celebrity Death Pool" is about everything that name implies. Jeong will play a struggling nightclub owner saddled with debt who decides to try and cash in on a celebrity death pool by killing Hasselhoff.  Other celebs are expected to appear and it's probably a safe bet other WWE superstars will find a way into the film, probably as Jeong's potential victims. How could they not put the celebrity-obsessed Miz (The Marine 3 & 4) into the mix somehow?

Truth be told when I saw that Hogan was doing a WWE Studios film my first reaction was "Oh my God they're making remaking Thunder in Paradise!!", but fortunately for us all that's not the case. Filming on the celebrity death pool flick will probably begin once Jeong wraps on Ride Along 2.

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WWE Superstar Dean Ambrose to Star in 'Lockdown'

Back in 2012 the WWE was invaded by a trio of hounds, the "Hounds of Justice" known as The Shield. The stable quickly became the most popular stable of grapplers on the roster, running roughshod through everyone who got in their path. They've remained popular even though the group has broken up and everybody's beefin' with one another,with Roman Reigns emerging as one of WWE's biggest stars. He seemed like the most obvious choice for Vince McMahon to mold for Hollywood superstardom, but instead it will be The Shield's most psychotic member making the jump.

Variety reports that Jonathan Good, known in the WWE as Dean Ambrose, will star in the studio's next direct-to-DVD action flick, Lockdown. This is the next feature film as part of WWE Studios' six-picture deal with Lionsgate. They have three more on the way in Vendetta, Leprechaun: Origins and See No Evil 2, which star WWE superstars the Big Show, Hornswoggle, and Kane respectively. Directed by Stephen Reynolds (Tomb Raider: Ascension) with a script by Nathan Brooks and Bobby Lee Darby (co-writers on See No Evil 2), the convoluted plot has Ambrose as a police officer trapped in his precinct by crooked cops looking to recover some incriminating evidence.

Nicknamed the "Lunatic Fringe" when in the squared circle, Ambrose is one of the best talkers the WWE has and it will be interesting to see if that translates into the world of movies.

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Jacob Goodnight Returns in Trailer for 'See No Evil 2' Starring WWE Superstar Kane

By the time See No Evil hit theaters in 2006, the WWE had already gotten its feet wet in the world of Hollywood movies. They had co-distributed a few movies, helping establish Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's box office potential, but See No Evil was their first major effort. They couldn't have chosen a better member of their roster to star as the hulking, maniacal Jacob Goodnight than the monstrous Kane, and the film proved modestly successful if forgettable. And just as any great slasher movie villain is never truly dead, See No Evil has risen from the grave with a sequel.

The first trailer for See No Evil 2 debuted over the weekend at Comic-Con, and it looks like traditional stuff for fans of the genre. Starring "scream queen" Danielle Harris and the returning Glen "Kane" Jacobs as Jacob Goodnight, the film follows a group of friends who are stalked and murdered by Goodnight, who is less dead than he was supposed to be. This is what happens when you throw a birthday party at the city morgue.

The film is directed by the Soska sisters, who last helmed slasher film American Mary and were recently signed to direct an adaptation of Painkiller Jane.  See No Evil 2 hits VOD on October 17th, and Blu-ray on October 21st.


See No Evil 2 - Official Trailer (2014) Horror Film by MovieTrailerz

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First 'Leprechaun: Origins' Trailer Wants Your Gold

Quick, name the current WWE superstar who may also be their biggest Hollywood actor? No, it's not Dwayne Johnson, and Dave Bautista just "retired" again last Monday night. So who does that leave? Chances are you didn't say Dylan "Hornswoggle" Postl, who played a singing inmate in Muppets Most Wanted and will take on the iconic title role in the horror reboot, Leprechaun: Origins.

WWE Studios and Lionsgate have released the first trailer and a new image for the film which will relaunch the franchise after a string of sequels turned the once-terrifying Leprechaun into a magically delicious joke. Directed by Zach Lipovsky (the SyFy Channel movie Tasmanian Devils) and starring a bunch of unknowns as a pair of couples terrorized by the Irish legend, the tone of this one is both dark and silly, as it probably should.

Leprechaun: Origins hits VOD on August 26th followed by a Blu-Ray/DVD release September 30th.


Leprechaun Origins - Trailer by Dread Central

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Call the Divas! WWE Studios Remaking French Wrestling Comedy, 'Queens of the Ring'

No longer just the butt of jokes, WWE Studios is now a major component of Vince McMahon's global entertainment brand. Besides their straight-to-DVD flicks featuring WWE superstars, they've branched out into full-scale national releases and have made headway on the international scene. They recently partnered up with Warner Bros. to produce Les Reines du Ring aka Queens of the Ring, a French-language comedy that included cameos from Mike "The Miz" Mizanin (The Marine 3: Homefront) and ex-WWE diva Eve Torres.  And apparently the film did well enough that it's hitting the squared circle here in America. 

WWE Studios has acquired the rights for an American remake of Queens of the Ring, and it sounds like the perfect opportunity to fill the cast with WWE Divas. The film centers on Rose, a mother who attempts to reconnect with her estranged, WWE-loving son by joining an intense training program to become a WWE Diva. She convinces her cashier colleagues to join in her journey to become Queens of the Ring. 

The WWE has been looking to introduce more of their female superstars into feature films, recently casting Fandango's breathtaking valet, Summer Rae, in The Marine 4 opposite The Miz.
Jean-Marc Rudnicki directed the original Queens of the Ring, but there is no writer or director attached to the remake yet.

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WWE's Mike "The Miz" Mizanin Returning for 'The Marine 4'; Summer Rae to Co-star

If there's a flagship franchise for Vince McMahon's WWE Studios, it's definitely The Marine. It's been the action movie home for whichever superstar Vince has wanted to push into Hollywood, beginning with poster boy John Cena back in 2006, and most recently with Mike "The Miz" Mizanin in last year's The Marine 3: Homefront. While none of them have been huge hits, The Miz's film did well enough on the straight-to-DVD market that WWE is pushing ahead with a sequel and bringing the former Real World star back to lead it.

WWE Studios and 20th Century Fox have announced a continuation of their home market collaboration that will see production commence on The Marine 4. Filming is expected to begin this April with The Miz reprising his role, and now he'll also be joined by new WWE Diva, Summer Rae, making her the first Diva to star in a WWE Studios film. She was also recently added to the cast of E!'s Total Divas reality show is clearly being pushed to the moon as the next big female superstar.



Also announced was Jingle All the Way 2, a sequel to the dreadful 1996 holiday comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad (!!!). Who exactly was clamoring for this is anybody's guess, but the follow-up will star Larry the Cable Guy and WWE superstar Santino Marella. Alex Zamm is directing with plans for it to be ready by this Christmas.

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WWE Superstar Kane Returns for 'See No Evil 2'

It may be damning with faint praise to say that WWE Studios' See No Evil is their finest film to date, but it's true nonetheless. For one thing, it was a perfect use of in-ring superstar Kane (aka Glenn Jacobs), a 7-foot tall behemoth whose slasher personality was practically made for the big screen. It was one of the WWE's biggest early hits, and while junk like The Marine and 12 Rounds received sequels, it was largely forgotten about. Until now that is, as See No Evil 2 is finally on the way.

Lionsgate (also involved in the Leprechaun remake) and WWE Studios are teaming up for See No Evil 2, with Kane reprising his role as crazed killer Jacob Goodnight. Directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (American Mary), the film follows the return of Goodnight as he "rises from the dead in the city morgue after his killing spree at the Blackwell hotel. In this ominous, underground locker for the dead, a group of medical students fight to survive as this deranged psychopath once again starts to pick them apart one by one."

Filming begins this fall, so don't be surprised to see Kane written off of TV for a few weeks, only to return more insane than ever and possibly channeling the Goodnight character as he did once before...

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Review: '12 Rounds 2: Reloaded', Starring Randy Orton

There can be no denying that WWE Studios has evolved significantly since its inception more than a decade ago. What began as basically a way for Vince McMahon to build Dwayne Johnson into a star by producing his first three movies, a plan which obviously worked, the studio has grown beyond making movies merely for the diehard fans who turn in for grappling action every Monday and Friday night. Ever since Johnson moved on to much bigger things, it's been one attempt after another to find another WWE star who could fill his boots as a leading man. John Cena, The Miz, Big Show, Edge, all have given it a go at one point or another with mixed results, and now the latest to stake his claim is Randy Orton in 12 Rounds 2: Reloaded.

The WWE has done a phenomenal job of branching out into Hollywood and building themselves a credible brand, but they continue to treat their most loyal followers like brain dead morons, putting their favorite superstars at the head of one awful franchise after another.  And yep, you can lump this in right along with them. Orton plays Nick Malloy, the world's most unlikely EMT ever. Not because he's covered in tattoo and looks like he was chiseled out of marble, but because of a complete lack of human emotion. The film begins with Nick and his wife Sarah (Cindy Busby) at the scene of a terrible accident. Try as he might, Nick is unable to save everyone, and one woman dies. A year later, what should have been a routine night suddenly gets very explosive as Nick is targeted by Heller (Brian Markinson), an unseen villain with an obvious chip on his shoulder.

Structured in exactly the same way as the prior film, the bad guy has come up with twelve games or "rounds" that his prey must survive. Like practically every other WWE film out there, the hero is motivated by the kidnapping of a female loved one, and in this case it's Sarah who Nick must rescue from Heller's clutches. From a hidden surveillance outpost, Heller watches Nick's every move as he races from one checkpoint to another before the clock runs out and the game ends. We're introduced to Tommy, a loser and drug addict who becomes another of Heller's targets, but we're never clued in as to why. The mystery of Heller's motivation is pretty easy to figure out, and since there isn't a whole lot that happens in the film, you have plenty of time to think about it.

At one point, Heller expresses disbelief that Nick has managed to survive so long, and it's a curious statement because the rounds aren't especially dangerous. Mostly it's about getting from point A to point B, finding an item or person, and moving on. The first film put the protagonist through the paces, such as they were, while Nick doesn't have much to contend with. So it's not especially compelling, and often is downright boring. The script is a mixed bag, showing flashes of inspiration while painting some extremely thin characters. The only thing we know about Nick is that he may or may not have had a checkered past, and that he's more than willing to beat people up if necessary. Themes of legal and political injustice bubble under the surface, and prove to be a driving force behind Heller's actions, but this isn't a story that can support ideas like that for very long, so the screenwriter never really tries.

Technical proficiency does prove to be the film's strong suit, thanks to competent direction by Roel Reine. Reine has really settled into his role as the go-to director for straight-to-DVD action franchises, leading The ScorpionKing 3, The Marine 2, and basically taking over the Death Race films. Nobody is going to call him an auteur, but he knows how to stage an action scene and play up to his lead actor's strengths. Considering most of his leading men are athletes and models with little acting experience (or talent), this means showing off their physical attributes. Orton....well, let's be frank. He can't act. Period. Or at the very least, he can't act beyond his regular portrayals on WWE TV.  What made Dwayne Johnson a superstar was that he has a natural presence. He's a larger-than-life figure in the ring and out. Orton is more rehearsed, and he seems to fall back on playing the cold, quietly intense character he's comfortable with. That's not what this role calls for, though, and every time Orton tries to be likable it comes off as unnatural. Markinson is actually pretty good as Heller, playing a desperate man whose morals have become twisted by grief.

12 Rounds 2: Reloaded is definitely a step up from the Cena-led film from 2009, but that's like saying you'd rather get kicked in the gut than kicked in the head. It's probably best to just avoid both.

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Kane and Hornswoggle? WWE Studios plans buddy action comedy

Ok, they've held off long enough! Forget all the credibility that WWE Studios has gained in Hollywood of late. It's time to throw all of that aside and finally make the movie their fans want, and that's a buddy comedy starring two of their pro wrestling superstars. The greater the size disparity between them, the better. Deadline reports that WWE Studios is developing Cruisin' for a Bruisin', an action comedy co-produced by Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation and Blum-Hanson-Allen Films.

Some guy named Adam Bhala Lough will write and direct, and the story follows two reckless ex-cops who go undercover to take down a corrupt senator's criminal organization after it leads to the murder of their former captain.

So who are we thinking for this? Maybe "The Big Red Machine" Kane teamed up with teeny-tiny Hornswoggle? Or how about Brodus clay and The Miz? Teddy Long and Booker T? Or...and this would be awesome...what if it's a pair of Divas? They'll probably just have "golden boy" John Cena play both parts. There's no evidence that they'll actually put wrestlers in either role, but doesn't the title sorta suggest it? You think The Big Show wasn't in mind when they came up with Knucklehead?

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Mike "The Miz" Mizanin to star in holday-themed 'Christmas Bounty'

For those who don't regularly keep up with Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment, it tends to go through phases. Not just in quality, which is always a roller coaster in and of itself, but in terms of the way they present their production. Back in the 80s there was the Rock 'n Wrestling era which was pretty silly, then there was the hard-edged and excessively vulgar "Attitude" era. Right now the WWE is in the midst of the PG-13 era in which everything is squeaky clean and geared towards kids. It sucks for old school fans like me, but it's understandable. Apparently that family friendly attitude is now bleeding over to their movie division over at WWE Studios.

WWE and ABC Family are teaming on an action comedy titled Christmas Bounty, which will air next year during the network's 25 Days of Christmas. Former WWE champ Mike "The Miz" Mizanin will star, following up on the recently wrapped The Marine 3: Homefront, and his cameo in the French wrestling dramedy Queens of the Ring.

The story sounds pretty terrible, but better than the Hulk Hogan-led Santa with Muscles by a mile. It follows an ex-bounty hunter turned elementary school teacher who returns home for Christmas to help her family catch the one bounty that got away. But when her fiance follows her home she struggles to hide her old life, as well as an ex-bounty hunter boyfriend she thought she'd left behind. The Miz's role hasn't been revealed, but he seems like a perfect for the ex-boyfriend.

Somehow it took an entire army to script this thing, as four screenwriters(none of real note) are credited. The search is on for the female lead, as well as a director.

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