If Uwe Boll can continue churning out films then why should World Wrestling Entertainment allow something like three cinematic stinkbombs in a row (SEE NO EVIL, THE MARINE, THE CONDEMNED) stop them from continuing to try and build motion pictures around their wrestling superstars? I'm all for Vince McMahon's misguided attempts to take his place as the new Golan-Globus. Just don't call them WWE Films anymore. They've restructured and rebranded as WWE Studios. The reason being, according to Variety, is because in addition to movies they also intend to add producing television comedies and dramas starring wrestlers to their development slate. The plan right now is for two big screen movies a year (budgeted between $10-20 million) and a half dozen made-for-DVD releases (budgeted around $5 million a pop). Somehow I suspect those numbers will drop quickly as the flops roll out.

Now let's smell what movies the company that once employed The Rock is cookin'!

BEHIND ENEMY LINES: COLUMBIA: The first out of the gate is a co-production with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; the third installment in the BEHIND ENEMY LINES franchise, this time about Navy SEALS trying to rescue a hostage from Columbian special forces baddies. Directed by Tim Matheson (AKA "Otter" from ANIMAL HOUSE), the WWE star is Ken Kennedy, or "Mr. Kennedy" as he's more better known. Kennedy might be even more well known for being the moron who went on a cable news show following the Chris Benoit murder-suicide where he declared that he didn't use steroids; a few weeks later he got suspended after failing a steroid test. 

SUCKERPUNCH - A (possible big screen?) movie about bare knuckles boxing starring Paul Wight, known in the ring as "The Big Show". Wight is a legit 7'2", 440 lbs, and they're going to cast him as a bare knuckle brawler? How exactly is the bad guy going to look imposing next to a giant? I'm assuming this is going to be one of those BLOODSPORT-style tournament flicks since most movies of this sort are built around underground tournaments. Or it could just cast Wight as a giant bare knuckle fighter who wanders the streets suckerpunching people smaller than him. I'm surprised the Japanese haven't already developed a hidden camera program along those lines.

THE MARINE 2 - I kid you not. A direct-to-DVD sequel to THE MARINE and, yes, John Cena will be back. No word on a plot yet (Like that really matters!) but I really hope Mr. & Mrs. Marine will have a baby in this one that gets kidnapped by bad guys so that Cena can spend the entire film running around yelling, "They have my child!" and "I'm going after my kid!" The lower budget will also cut down on the amount of pyrotechnics; what's the point of making a sequel to THE MARINE if you can't blow the ever loving hell out of everything?

The new head of WWE Studio, replacing the original guy who got fired after the massive financial failure that was THE CONDEMNED, has stated that their new films will all be PG or PG-13 rated to ensure a wider audience and also, no doubt, because they lost their shirt with the R-rated THE CONDEMNED. My immediate question is how exactly does one make a PG-13 movie about bare knuckle boxing, a sport that's all about beating your opponent's face to a bloody pulp.

No word yet on what we can expect from the in terms of TV programs but my fingers are crossed that they'll greenlight IRON SHEIK, PI or, better yet, an updated version of the sitcom PERFECT STRANGERS but uptight William Regal rooming with his wacky foreign cousin, The Great Khali.