For any wrestling fans... a Hitman/HBK film

[dgnightwing]

Don't know if any of you are wresting fans, but I just got finished reading the biographies of both Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, and I just watched their rivalry DVD.

If a serious film (on par The Wrestler) was made about the relationship of these two men, I think it could be fantastic. From their beginnings as friends to their intense hatred of each other culminating in the screwjob. You show Shawn's religous awakening, Bret's physical downfall, and build it all up to them forgiving one another live on Raw in 2010. Not to mention you could do a lot with Vinny Mac manipulating both of them against each other.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Octoberist]

I think the problem would be the copyrights of the WWE, and the wrestlers themselves, most are owned by the WWE. (For example, 'The Rock' is owned by the WWE so that's why Dwayne Johnson doesn't go by that anymore professionally, among other reasons.)

 

[Pink Ranger]

Yeah, the WWE is protective of its properties, and does not want this story told objectively.

However, in the interest of fun:

Bret Hart: Gerard Butler
Shawn Michaels: Zac Efron (yes, I am serious)
Julie Hart: Melissa Leo
Vince McMahon: Robert Duvall
Owen Hart: Alex Pettyfer
Triple H: Liev Schreiber
Earl Hebner: Robert Forster

 

[PSYLENTGuardian]

I'd love to see more movies about wrestling, even if WWE is protective of their copyrighted material.

 

[dgnightwing]

The copyrights would be a problem, because their is no way that Vince would want the real story out their (not to mention that I'm sure that HBJesus woudl not want a film out with him snorting coke and pissing in hooker's mouths). I guess you would just have to have a very respected filmmaker that Vince would trust to get it going.

Pink Ranger, the cast you have isn't bad at all, but the ages are way off.

I guess I would go with

Bret Hart: Colin Farrell
Shawn Michaels: Tom Hardy (a young Matthew McConaughey would have been perfect)
Vince McMahon: Viggo Mortensen
Triple H: Chris Hemsworth
Owen Hart: Neil Patrick Harris
Julie Hart: Winona Ryder
Stu Hart: Frank Langella
Helen Hart: Talia Shire
Rebecca Curci: Mila Kunis
Sunny: Sienna Miller
Earl Hebner: Dylan Baker

Any one got any ideas for Taker?

 

[dude stannis]

Yeah, the lead up and fall out of the Montreal incident would be an amazing drama movie.

I'm not too sure who to cast in the film, but Harrison Ford IS Vince McMahon.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I'm not too sure who to cast in the film, but Harrison Ford IS Vince McMahon.

That is actually an amazingly good casting idea.

I still see Gerard Butler as Bret though; I can see him portray a grizzled fighter who is just a tiny bit past his prime. Whether you agree with that characterization of Bret, that would be how it would be presented by a theoretical movie.

 

[PSYLENTGuardian]

Any one got any ideas for Taker?

Alexis Denisof is the first actor that comes to my mind.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Mick Foley

 

[Thundarr]

Alexis Denisof is the first actor that comes to my mind.

Really? The guy who played Wesley on Buffy The Vampire Slayer? THAT'S your pick for Undertaker? He's shorter than Anthony Stewart Head, who's nowhere near Taker's size. He'd be better playing the late Joey Morella in a docu-drama on the life of Hulk Hogan.

This idea could make for a good movie. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon comes off as a total prick in this story, so I doubt he'd give his concent to have it made. Even if Bret's sister, Diana Hart-Smith's, autobiography Under The Mat is used for Bret's side of the rivalry (according to his sister, it was Bret acting like a prick and Vince was just doing what he thought best), I don't think he'd agree. That being said, if Vince were to executive produce it himself through WWE Films, it could be done. I don't think he'd have a big problem with HBK being depicted snorting coke off of hookers' butts, since he had no problem with Shawn writing about it in his autobiography. It's mostly his own image he's concerned with.

As for casting? I kinda like the suggestion of Colin Farrel as Bret. I'd cast Owen Wilson as Owen Hart (they have very similar faces, with similarly pointed noses. Wilson would have to spend about a year living in a gym while on a steady diet of steak, eggs, chicken, and fish in order to have a body anywhere near as buff as The King Of Harts was though). Not sure who should play Shawn though.

As for other wrestlers with minor roles in the film, just get the actual wrestlers to play themselves. Granted, this story did take place nearly twenty years ago, but many of them are still alive and have aged very gracefully. Hell, if Jerry Lawler can play himself in Man On The Moon, Undertaker can play himself in HBK vs Hitman.

With the main characters and those who have passed away since the screw job (or in the case of Brian Pilman, around the same time), then cast actors in those roles. Everyone else? Just have the actual wrestlers portray themselves.

 

[dude stannis]

[YT]xawUTpD_VZM[/YT]

 

[jmc]

WWE are extremely protective of their brand so I doubt they'd allow the actual names of their brand or wrestlers for such film to be used, but then again everyone knows the story, documentaries and books have been written about it, all it would come down to is convincing Vince that the goal is to tell the story as seen from both sides, both parties blame one and other. I could actually see the story being really interesting for film, start with the Montreal Screwjob and then show the aftermath with flash backs inter-cut like in Social Network.

I'm not too sure who to cast in the film, but Harrison Ford IS Vince McMahon.

I can totally picture that in my head.

 

[Kane52630]

Yeah, the lead up and fall out of the Montreal incident would be an amazing drama movie.

I'm not too sure who to cast in the film, but Harrison Ford IS Vince McMahon.

 

[PSYLENTGuardian]

Really? The guy who played Wesley on Buffy The Vampire Slayer? THAT'S your pick for Undertaker? He's shorter than Anthony Stewart Head, who's nowhere near Taker's size. He'd be better playing the late Joey Morella in a docu-drama on the life of Hulk Hogan.

It was literally the first name that came to mind and I just wrote it down

Not a serious one, but hey, there are always more options

 

[Donnie Darko]

For some reason this thread popped into my head earlier this morning.

I love Hemsworth as Triple-H. It would be pretty funny, considering Hemsworth landed and rocked the role that a lot of people on the Hype said only Triple-H could physically do, haha.

As far as Tom Hardy goes, I would still LOVE to see him "ugly" himself up some, get in about the same shape he was in for Warrior and play Chris Benoit in a movie about his life and death. I know it'll never happen, but I would love it.

As for the HBK/Hart movie, if there is an appearance or role for Kevin Nash/Diesel, I think Joe Manganiello would be perfect for that. He's about the same age Nash was at the time, only a few inches shorter, and is jacked. I also don't think female viewers would have trouble calling him "Big Sexy."

 

[Pink Ranger]

Kevin Nash has been in a lot of movies lately, and in a Montreal Screwjob film, his role as a character would be quite small I imagine, so why can't he just play himself? At this point in his life, I'm sure he'd be past caring how the filmmakers characterized him, Hall and their clique.

 

[Donnie Darko]

well, I was just throwing another name out there in case this hypothetical movie was recasting everyone.

 

[nite-owl]

[YT]xawUTpD_VZM[/YT]

Nic Cage as HBK?

You just blew my mind.

 

[Thundarr]

Kevin Nash has been in a lot of movies lately, and in a Montreal Screwjob film, his role as a character would be quite small I imagine, so why can't he just play himself? At this point in his life, I'm sure he'd be past caring how the filmmakers characterized him, Hall and their clique.

Agreed. Not just small, but prectically nonexistant. He'd be around for the formation of The Clique, but by the time the Montreal Screw Job happened, he, along with Scott Hall & 1-2-3 Kid, had jumped ship and headed to WCW. They were there for about a year by the time all this happened.

The only ones who will probably get recast are the ones most directly involved in the screw job and the events leading up to it. Brett, Owen, The Anvil, Davey Boy, Flyin' Brian, Shawn, HHH, Chyna, Vince, Earl Hebner, and maybe Shane. Recasting the entire WWE locker room at the time would be both very costly, very time consuming, and to be totally honest, completely unnecessary. If Jerry Lawler can portray himself 20+ years younger in Man On The Moon, Kevin Nash, The Undertaker, Stone Cold, Mick Foley, and whoever else can certainly portray themselves in a Hart/HBK biopic.

 

[Donnie Darko]

While I agree with what you're saying, this movie isn't going to happen, so we might as well have some fun with casting.

Speaking of casting, who could play Chyna?

 

[Pink Ranger]

Nic Cage as HBK?

You just blew my mind.

"That's high praise. For this role contains all the classic features of a classic Nic Cage character. Number one, I get to wear a vest with tiny little mirrors on it. Number two, I also possess a 'super kick.' Feared and dreaded by wrestling villains and charging bison alike. For too long my magical right foot has lain dormant, ensconced in an Italian loafer made from the dead skin of a Galapogas tortoise. Now it shall be awaked, ready to unleash its raw fury on to the streets of Montreal, before retiring to a night of drunken debauchery with a discarded Sunny Delight juicebox.

"And that, my friends, is the true meaning of Independence Day."

 

[gwynplaine]

[YT]xawUTpD_VZM[/YT]

Kinda looks like Bruce Dern there.

 

[Donnie Darko]

I was so happy when I saw Django Unchained and learned that Bruce Dern was still alive.

 

[bullets]

While I agree with what you're saying, this movie isn't going to happen, so we might as well have some fun with casting.

Speaking of casting, who could play Chyna?

Kurt Angle. Since he does direct to dvd films they could slap a wig on Kurt Angle and it would be convincing enough.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Kurt Angle. Since he does direct to dvd films they could slap a wig on Kurt Angle and it would be convincing enough.

On a slightly more serious note, Julie Strain with some airbrushing effects could play Chyna.