Production Costs for WWE Studio Projects Revealed

[Troy]

Last week, WWE listed the production costs for recent WWE Studio projects:

* No One Lives – $2,200,000
* The Marine 3 – $1,400,000
* 12 Rounds: Reloaded – $1,300,000

May not be interesting to some but I think it is interesting to see how the direction of WWE Studio has changed. They have switched from $15 million budgets when they were aiming for wide release in theatres to much smaller budgets for their direct to DVD movies. This doesn't take into account marketing cost but they would save a lot on that as they have the ability to plug it like crazy during their shows each week.

They have pulled in decent sales so far as well, The Marine 3 has pulled in over $2.5 million in DVD sales and over a million in Blu Ray sales. Must better strategy that won't be such a drain for the company and may actually make them some money.

 

[Keith]

It was the only way to go if they were going to insist on keeping the movie studio as the movies were costing too much and very few of the wrestlers looked like they could be break out movie stars.

 

[Troy]

It is better that they are now using WWE stars in supporting roles in the feature films that they co-produce. Nothing wrong with a wrestler headlining a straight to DVD release but for those theatrical releases they don't have enough star power, or ability, to carry those roles.

Has anyone here seen No One Lives? I have said for quite some time that WWE should produce more horror films after the big success of See No Evil.

 

[Chris]

They found a way to make a profit, definitely a better strategy than before.

 

[Deezy]

Straight to DVD is a pretty lucrative market when you find your footing in certain demographics. People like Jason Statham, Michal Jai White, Jean Claude Van Damme and hell even Steve Austin make a pretty good living off straight to DVDs. Good strategy, but I'm interested in how much the cartoons are going to cost them tbh.

 

[PHX]

Really had no choice but to start being realistic about themselves in the movie business. Made no sense to spend a shit load of money and not get any profit off of it. Not like it showed in a good way how much they were spending before.

 

[Troy]

Straight to DVD is a pretty lucrative market when you find your footing in certain demographics. People like Jason Statham, Michal Jai White, Jean Claude Van Damme and hell even Steve Austin make a pretty good living off straight to DVDs. Good strategy, but I'm interested in how much the cartoons are going to cost them tbh.

Steven Seagal would be another to add to that list. With the cartoons they are co-producing them with Warner Bros and Hanna-Barbera plus animation is so much cheaper since you pay the actors so much less so they wont have to spend as much. Also depends on if they are going straight to DVD with the Scooby Doo and Flinstones movies or if they are aiming for a theatrical release.

 

[Keith]

It is better that they are now using WWE stars in supporting roles in the feature films that they co-produce. Nothing wrong with a wrestler headlining a straight to DVD release but for those theatrical releases they don't have enough star power, or ability, to carry those roles.

Has anyone here seen No One Lives? I have said for quite some time that WWE should produce more horror films after the big success of See No Evil.

More horror movies would make sense as that is a genre which fits quite nicely into the straight to DVD market, also a lot of the best horrors are low budget anyway.

 

[Troy]

More horror movies would make sense as that is a genre which fits quite nicely into the straight to DVD market, also a lot of the best horrors are low budget anyway.

It makes so much sense and that is why it is odd WWE have waited so long to make another horror film. Plus with the characters that they have in wrestling there are a few that would translate quite well into a horror film, just like Kane did.

 

[Deezy]

WWE will co-produce an Ayn Rand biographic film written by Kane.

edit: Well as soon as I made my headscratcher of a joke, I find out WWE and Lionsgate are going to make the sequel to See No Evil.

Maybe this time Vince's pitch of Goodnights 3 foot dick gets the greenligh.t

 

[Rated R Superstar]

Quick and easy money... Smart.

 

[John McHenry]

The worst of their films costs the most

 

[Dale]

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