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Renny Harlin Goes 12 Rounds with John Cena

February 15, 2008

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is stepping into the film production ring with Fox Atomic for 12 Rounds, tapping Renny Harlin to direct the action film set to star grappler John Cena, Steve Harris, Aidan Gillen and Brian White.

According to Variety, the story centers on a New Orleans police detective (Cena) whose girlfriend is kidnapped. Harlin will direct the $20 million pic from a script by Daniel Kunka.

Production starts Feb. 25 in New Orleans. It's WWE's first project to film in the U.S., with previous pics shot in Australia.

Mark Gordon, Josh McLaughlin and WWE Films' president Michael Lake are producing. WWE topper Vince McMahon serves as executive producer with Becki Trujillo.

WWE Films' credits include Cena starrer The Marine, See No Evil and The Condemned.

Harris ("The Practice") plays an FBI agent and Gillen is taking the kidnapper role.

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COMMENTS (46)

Posted by:

Monster

February 15, 2008

Didn't Jon Cena star in a movie like this already where bad guys kidnapped his girl. Oh yeah, it was called The Marine.

Posted by:

evan331

February 15, 2008

John Cena as an authority/man of action figure who's wife is kidnapped....

Pretty sure he did that movie with WWE Films already...

I think....yeah, it was called THE MARINE!!!!!

Oh so very original...

Posted by:

evan331

February 15, 2008

....and I'm sure at a whopping $20 million budget, it will be the HIGHEST caliber production...

Posted by:

Aaron

February 15, 2008

This piece of crap sounds familiar...oh yeah, it's like his first piece of crap, The Marine. What a piece of crap!

Posted by:

Tim Trainor

February 15, 2008

20 million??? What can you expect from a WWE production? Renny Harlin has really fallen from grace in Hollywood to be linked to this train wreck in waiting. Can anyone say Oscar?

Posted by:

BurmaShave

February 15, 2008

Robert Patrick was THE MARINE's only saving grace, hopefully he will be involved in this as well, though he could do a lot better. John Cena's Matt Damon on steroids routine was tiresome after one film. Look forward to watching 10 minutes of this on Cinemax in 2010.

Posted by:

BurmaShave

February 15, 2008

Oh man I just reread and realized Carcetti was going to be in this. That's the saddest news I've heard all day.

Posted by:

KHW

February 15, 2008

WTF

Posted by:

savan

February 15, 2008

Posted by:

Carlos

February 15, 2008

It doesn't look bad, casting-wise, that is.
I'm surprised how WWE Films managed to attract some high profile figures like Die Hard 2's Renny Harlin and some somewhat populat tv and movie actors like Steve Harris from the TV Show The Pratice and Aidan Gillen(Shangai Knights).

I agree that The Marine was hardly a decent action movie, but perhaps in the hands of a more competent director, even if the early plotline looks and sounds a little to much like Cena's debut movie, 12 Rounds might be a pretty good action movie.