Kemo
04-28-2017, 06:28 PM
WWE Chairman Vince McMahon has an incredible life story. McMahon rose to fame by changing the wrestling industry and becoming a billionaire in the process, now a film about his life is officially in the works. Sony’s TriStar is reportedly in talks to pick up the script, and the film will be called Pandemonium.
Ex-WWE writers Alex Greenfield and Court Bauer recently got a hold of the script for Vince’s upcoming biopic, and shared some exclusive details on what’s in store on their MLWRadio podcast. They note that the film starts in 1969 and focuses on McMahon’s career until the end of the federal trial in New York in the 90’s.
The First Scene
The movie reportedly opens up with Vince in his 20’s, with his car breaking down while he’s on the way to work for his father. For those who read Vince’s now-rare 1999 Playboy interview, you may remember his stories of growing up without indoor plumbing in North Carolina, almost being beaten to death by his step-father, being exposed to sex very early in life, and later working crushing rocks for 90 hours a week. This film reportedly won’t cover those younger years. The script does reportedly touch on Vince working selling plastic/paper cups, which was a job he despised, prior to entering the wrestling business.
Who’s In It
A key part of the script is Vince getting his first job in wrestling from his father, Vince Sr., who is featured several times. Wrestlers who appear in the script include The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, The Iron Sheik, Rowdy Piper, Randy Savage, Gorilla Monsoon, Verne Gange, King Kong Bundy, and more. There are reportedly scenes featuring NWA meetings, Ted Turner, the Crocketts, and several other names from the old wrestling territory days.
Style & Accuracy
There appears to be some “movie magic” at work in the script as far as accuracy goes. Some historical facts have been changed for the script, such as his wife Linda’s history. For example, the movie has Linda working in a bar, but in real-life she worked as a paralegal at the time. The film reportedly portrays Linda as having a similar creative role and approach as Vince, when in actuality she mostly worked in the offices in an executive role. Linda’s personality is also portrayed in a way that Greenfield & Bauer feel the McMahons likely won’t sign off on.
The script reportedly admits that it strays from the truth, at one point breaking the fourth wall to admit that it’s as real as pro wrestling. Greenfield and Baurer said the script leans more towards Ready To Rumble than The Wrestler in terms of tone, but not “as silly” as Ready To Rumble. They also compare the script to “a poor man’s version of The People vs. Larry Flynt.”
The film follows McMahon trying to recruit his cast of characters for his promotion, especially Hulk Hogan. Hogan is portrayed as a guy who wasn’t properly trained prior to the WWF, with some of the WWF stars breaking him in correctly. There is a Hogan sex-scene where he is seen holding a video camera. The script also has Vince instructing Hogan to start taking performance enhancing drugs.
Vince’s character is portrayed as being resentful of his father, when in actuality he held Vince Sr. in high regard. Vince Sr. also lives later in the movie timeline than he did in real life.
Greenfield and Bauer also noted there’s a scene of Gorilla Monson watching VHS tapes of his old matches from before there was tape of them. Gorilla is portrayed as an antagonist of Vince in act 2, which was not the case in real life. Jim Crockett is also portrayed as an antagonist late into the film, when in actuality he had been bought out by that time and was a consultant.
Greenfield and Bauer both felt that Vince’s life story would be better told in a Boardwalk Empire or Sopranos-like series.
The Second Act & The Monday Night Wars
The second act of the movie is about the WWF’s rise to success. This part of the script shows montages of steroid use and big name stars. There are also scenes of Vince doing recreational drugs, and working on the No Holds Barred movie for Hogan. This is also around the time when a relationship between Vince and Ted Turner is loosely established, and Ted is also seen working with the Crocketts. The Monday Night Wars are covered “very quickly” in the film, with Vince’s triumph over his top competitor being treated as an afterthought. Greenfield and Bauer feel that some of Vince’s dialogue and behavior in the second act started becoming too unrealistic. This is also where WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt is introduced as a character.
The Final Act & The Steroid Trial
The third act of the script focuses on McMahon’s federal trial for steroid charges, the No Holds Barred movie, and WCW raiding WWF talent. Vince’s neck brace at the trial wasn’t mentioned in the script. Greenfield and Bauer noted that there was a lot of information to be crammed into the trial scenes, and that the trial and the Attitude Era seemed rushed. Vince’s business suffered a downturn in the early and mid 90s, which also wasn’t covered. The third act reportedly features a lengthy montage, and Vince McMahon interacting with Stacy Keibler to close out the film.
Script & Production
This is very likely not the last draft of the script, and there are several things the McMahons may not sign off on. There’s a possible Hollywood writers strike on the horizon next week, and studios are reportedly putting together material already ready-to-shoot in the event of a strike. If the script is finalized quickly, shooting could begin this summer, and the film could be released before Fall 2018.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who direct and produce NBC’s This Is Us, are in talks to direct the project. Craig A. Williams wrote the script, and Andrew Lazar, who produced American Sniper, is producing. Also producing are Michael Luisi of WWE Studios, and Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm. Charlie Gogolak of Zaftig Films will executive produce.
Ex-WWE writers Alex Greenfield and Court Bauer recently got a hold of the script for Vince’s upcoming biopic, and shared some exclusive details on what’s in store on their MLWRadio podcast. They note that the film starts in 1969 and focuses on McMahon’s career until the end of the federal trial in New York in the 90’s.
The First Scene
The movie reportedly opens up with Vince in his 20’s, with his car breaking down while he’s on the way to work for his father. For those who read Vince’s now-rare 1999 Playboy interview, you may remember his stories of growing up without indoor plumbing in North Carolina, almost being beaten to death by his step-father, being exposed to sex very early in life, and later working crushing rocks for 90 hours a week. This film reportedly won’t cover those younger years. The script does reportedly touch on Vince working selling plastic/paper cups, which was a job he despised, prior to entering the wrestling business.
Who’s In It
A key part of the script is Vince getting his first job in wrestling from his father, Vince Sr., who is featured several times. Wrestlers who appear in the script include The Rock, Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, The Iron Sheik, Rowdy Piper, Randy Savage, Gorilla Monsoon, Verne Gange, King Kong Bundy, and more. There are reportedly scenes featuring NWA meetings, Ted Turner, the Crocketts, and several other names from the old wrestling territory days.
Style & Accuracy
There appears to be some “movie magic” at work in the script as far as accuracy goes. Some historical facts have been changed for the script, such as his wife Linda’s history. For example, the movie has Linda working in a bar, but in real-life she worked as a paralegal at the time. The film reportedly portrays Linda as having a similar creative role and approach as Vince, when in actuality she mostly worked in the offices in an executive role. Linda’s personality is also portrayed in a way that Greenfield & Bauer feel the McMahons likely won’t sign off on.
The script reportedly admits that it strays from the truth, at one point breaking the fourth wall to admit that it’s as real as pro wrestling. Greenfield and Baurer said the script leans more towards Ready To Rumble than The Wrestler in terms of tone, but not “as silly” as Ready To Rumble. They also compare the script to “a poor man’s version of The People vs. Larry Flynt.”
The film follows McMahon trying to recruit his cast of characters for his promotion, especially Hulk Hogan. Hogan is portrayed as a guy who wasn’t properly trained prior to the WWF, with some of the WWF stars breaking him in correctly. There is a Hogan sex-scene where he is seen holding a video camera. The script also has Vince instructing Hogan to start taking performance enhancing drugs.
Vince’s character is portrayed as being resentful of his father, when in actuality he held Vince Sr. in high regard. Vince Sr. also lives later in the movie timeline than he did in real life.
Greenfield and Bauer also noted there’s a scene of Gorilla Monson watching VHS tapes of his old matches from before there was tape of them. Gorilla is portrayed as an antagonist of Vince in act 2, which was not the case in real life. Jim Crockett is also portrayed as an antagonist late into the film, when in actuality he had been bought out by that time and was a consultant.
Greenfield and Bauer both felt that Vince’s life story would be better told in a Boardwalk Empire or Sopranos-like series.
The Second Act & The Monday Night Wars
The second act of the movie is about the WWF’s rise to success. This part of the script shows montages of steroid use and big name stars. There are also scenes of Vince doing recreational drugs, and working on the No Holds Barred movie for Hogan. This is also around the time when a relationship between Vince and Ted Turner is loosely established, and Ted is also seen working with the Crocketts. The Monday Night Wars are covered “very quickly” in the film, with Vince’s triumph over his top competitor being treated as an afterthought. Greenfield and Bauer feel that some of Vince’s dialogue and behavior in the second act started becoming too unrealistic. This is also where WWE lawyer Jerry McDevitt is introduced as a character.
The Final Act & The Steroid Trial
The third act of the script focuses on McMahon’s federal trial for steroid charges, the No Holds Barred movie, and WCW raiding WWF talent. Vince’s neck brace at the trial wasn’t mentioned in the script. Greenfield and Bauer noted that there was a lot of information to be crammed into the trial scenes, and that the trial and the Attitude Era seemed rushed. Vince’s business suffered a downturn in the early and mid 90s, which also wasn’t covered. The third act reportedly features a lengthy montage, and Vince McMahon interacting with Stacy Keibler to close out the film.
Script & Production
This is very likely not the last draft of the script, and there are several things the McMahons may not sign off on. There’s a possible Hollywood writers strike on the horizon next week, and studios are reportedly putting together material already ready-to-shoot in the event of a strike. If the script is finalized quickly, shooting could begin this summer, and the film could be released before Fall 2018.
Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who direct and produce NBC’s This Is Us, are in talks to direct the project. Craig A. Williams wrote the script, and Andrew Lazar, who produced American Sniper, is producing. Also producing are Michael Luisi of WWE Studios, and Aperture Entertainment’s Adam Goldworm. Charlie Gogolak of Zaftig Films will executive produce.