WWE Working On New Wrestling Drama And Comedy, "USA Vs. Vince McMahon" Series Update
WWE has two new fictional TV shows about the world of pro wrestling in the works.
The first is a Spanish-language comedy about an aspiring wrestler in Mexico. "Contra Las Cuerdas" is being produced for Netflix in Mexico, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The second is a Succession-like mogul family drama. "Pinned" is being produced for NBCUniversal, but there's no word on if it will air on Peacock as the network has yet to be determined. The show will tell the story of a fictional family that runs a pro wrestling company. "Pinned" has secured a script sale, and comes from UCP (Universal Content Productions), which is a TV production company that operates within the Universal Studio Group division of NBCU.
"Pinned" is being executive produced and written by "CSI: Vegas" executive producer Craig O'Neill, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, and FOX Sports reporter Tom Rinaldi, according to Deadline. Longtime WWE Executive Producer & Chief of Global Television Distribution Kevin Dunn will also executive produce, along with Chris Kaiser, who works as the Executive Vice President of WWE Television, and has been with the company for seven years.
The "Pinned" family drama series is described as an "adrenalized upstairs-downstairs soap that gives a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional wrestling promotion and the unforgettable characters that populate it. Pinned offers a front-row seat into the eccentric wrestling culture and the mayhem that exists between the locker room and the boardroom."
A WWE rep said "Pinned" is not based on the McMahon Family and WWE, but it will likely have "brushstrokes and similarities" to the executives and other figures associated with the company.
"Contra Las Cuerdas" is currently in production and is a comedy about a woman who trains to become a luchadora in Mexico, in order to win back the love of her estranged daughter. The TV series is based on the 2013 French film "Queens of the Ring" that was developed in part with help from WWE Studios. That movie featured cameos by CM Punk, Eve Torres and The Miz.
McMahon said the new scripted WWE shows are part of his management team's efforts to generate new revenue and find new distribution platforms.
The Wall Street Journal also provided an update on "The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon," which is the TV series that WWE is partnering with Blumhouse Television on, focusing on the 1994 steroid trial. Blumhouse Television President Chris McCumber said the show on Vince will be similar to the FX Networks' "The People vs. OJ Simpson" that aired a few years back as it will be a dramatized mini-series based on real events.
"Even if you've never seen a match, you know the brand and you know superstars like Hulk Hogan, The Rock and John Cena," said McCumber.
McCumber noted that WWE President & Chief Revenue Officer Nick Khan came up with the idea for the series on Vince. Khan joined WWE in the summer of 2020 but built a relationship with Vince while negotiating WWE's TV rights fees during his stint as the Co-Head of Television at Creative Artists Agency.
WWE and Blumhouse just announced this week that Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster will write and be the showrunners for "The United States of America vs. Vince McMahon" drama series.
Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster previously teamed up for "A Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood" with Tom Hanks, which was based on the life of TV and pop culture icon Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers). The duo will also executive produce the series, along with WWE's Dunn and several Blumhouse executives. There is still no network or streaming partner confirmed for the series, which was first announced in July 2021.
It was noted that WWE is producing these new programs as part of an effort to generate more revenue outside of the wrestling ring, and to capitalize on streaming services' growing hunger for new content. Colin Campbell, the Vice President of Unscripted at WWE Studios, said the company expects the shows will help reach new audiences and grow relationships with media outlets.
Stay tuned for more.