Fight Biz: Hollywood taps MMA popularity for action movie genre
And, the Oscar goes to ...
It's a pretty good bet that the name of a mixed martial artist won't be called to finish that phrase any time soon. However, the influx of fighters into acting has much more to do with pocketing extra cash than it does winning awards.
The list of fighters seeking an opportunity to test their acting chops is growing. Quinton Jackson and Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson are among the recent additions, while the likes of Randy Couture, Cung Le and Rich Franklin have already made their film debuts. With the number of fighters adding acting to their resumes, one would think Hollywood is experiencing a shortage of ripped athletic-types to suit up for action movies. However, casting directors are drawn to the testosterone pool of MMA for an entirely different reason.
"Hollywood wants to cash in on the popularity of the fighters because they want to reach the 18 to 34 demo that the fighters have, so they're willing to put them in roles to sell their films," J.T. Stewart, who has served as Franklin's manager for nearly four years, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "They ride the horse that's hot."
Right now, that horse is MMA, which is continuing to increase in popularity, at least at the top of the sport with the UFC. And, the mutual attraction from fighters is a natural extension of promoting their own individual fight brand. The movie exposure is good for business, opens up potential new doors for post-fighting career options and pads the bank account. However, like many trends in Hollywood, this window of opportunity for fighters could be short lived.
"It's cyclical," Stewart said. "At some point, people go, 'OK, that was great, what's the next big thing?' That's just the way America and the world is. You have to take advantage of the opportunity. In our case, with Rich being five fights away from ending his contract and probably, not definitely sure but probably ending this fighting career, I've got about a year and a half to really break things open and find the next career."
While returning to the classroom to teach math is always an option for Franklin, acting pays better. Franklin's break came in the 2008 release of "Cyborg Soldier." The movie fell short of critical acclaimed, but by playing the title character, Franklin got a good feel for what it is like to be on set for an extended period, and he learned from more seasoned movie pros. He also earned close to a six-figure paycheck for the month's worth of work.
Kat McEntee, owner of the Cincinnati-based Katalyst talent agency, worked with Stewart to land that initial role for Franklin. She says the fame a fighter brings to a movie cast can result in income that exceeds the $2,600 weekly minimum set by the Screen Actors Guild.
"They make quite a bit more than your novice actor would just starting out because they do have the celebrity and the name," she said.
Franklin's performance in "Cyborg Soldier" has led to smaller roles in two upcoming productions, including "The Genesis Code" and "Hamill," which is based on the life of UFC middleweight Matt Hamill. Both are due out next year.
"The bottom line is that Rich has skills," Stewart said. "Now, we need to use his popularity to springboard him ahead, where he doesn't need to audition for roles. It's a matter of getting the dollar figure to where he can make as much money in acting as he can make fighting."
Fighting remains job one for Franklin for the time being, but, aside from Couture, no mixed martial artist has done more to position himself for a career transition to acting in the near future. In addition to the pair of films due out in 2010, Franklin is being considered for a part in an upcoming installment of the "Predator" film series, and he's awaiting word on funding for three other action-oriented movies.
It's a solid start in acting for the self-professed movie buff, whose nickname "Ace" stems from the Ace Ventura pet detective character played by Jim Carrey, who bares a resemblance to Franklin. Stewart says the reaction from the directors Franklin has worked with has been positive, which gives him confidence that his fighter has a future in the business. But, success for Franklin or any other mixed martial artist hinges on much more than just nailing a scene. It's about finding the right projects and roles.
"It doesn't need to be just when people make offers," he said. "Six to eight months ago, I was getting at least two offers a month for Rich to do movies. You have to weigh that. What's the budget of the movie? Who's distributing the film? Is it going to be a theatrical release or DVD? You don't just want to do a movie and nothing ever happens with it, and you don't have the next one lined up. It's all about building a career."
http://mmajunkie.com/news/16389/mmajunkie-com-fight-biz-hollywood-taps-mma-popularity-for-action-movie-genre.mma
And, the Oscar goes to ...
It's a pretty good bet that the name of a mixed martial artist won't be called to finish that phrase any time soon. However, the influx of fighters into acting has much more to do with pocketing extra cash than it does winning awards.
The list of fighters seeking an opportunity to test their acting chops is growing. Quinton Jackson and Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson are among the recent additions, while the likes of Randy Couture, Cung Le and Rich Franklin have already made their film debuts. With the number of fighters adding acting to their resumes, one would think Hollywood is experiencing a shortage of ripped athletic-types to suit up for action movies. However, casting directors are drawn to the testosterone pool of MMA for an entirely different reason.
"Hollywood wants to cash in on the popularity of the fighters because they want to reach the 18 to 34 demo that the fighters have, so they're willing to put them in roles to sell their films," J.T. Stewart, who has served as Franklin's manager for nearly four years, told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "They ride the horse that's hot."
Right now, that horse is MMA, which is continuing to increase in popularity, at least at the top of the sport with the UFC. And, the mutual attraction from fighters is a natural extension of promoting their own individual fight brand. The movie exposure is good for business, opens up potential new doors for post-fighting career options and pads the bank account. However, like many trends in Hollywood, this window of opportunity for fighters could be short lived.
"It's cyclical," Stewart said. "At some point, people go, 'OK, that was great, what's the next big thing?' That's just the way America and the world is. You have to take advantage of the opportunity. In our case, with Rich being five fights away from ending his contract and probably, not definitely sure but probably ending this fighting career, I've got about a year and a half to really break things open and find the next career."
While returning to the classroom to teach math is always an option for Franklin, acting pays better. Franklin's break came in the 2008 release of "Cyborg Soldier." The movie fell short of critical acclaimed, but by playing the title character, Franklin got a good feel for what it is like to be on set for an extended period, and he learned from more seasoned movie pros. He also earned close to a six-figure paycheck for the month's worth of work.
Kat McEntee, owner of the Cincinnati-based Katalyst talent agency, worked with Stewart to land that initial role for Franklin. She says the fame a fighter brings to a movie cast can result in income that exceeds the $2,600 weekly minimum set by the Screen Actors Guild.
"They make quite a bit more than your novice actor would just starting out because they do have the celebrity and the name," she said.
Franklin's performance in "Cyborg Soldier" has led to smaller roles in two upcoming productions, including "The Genesis Code" and "Hamill," which is based on the life of UFC middleweight Matt Hamill. Both are due out next year.
"The bottom line is that Rich has skills," Stewart said. "Now, we need to use his popularity to springboard him ahead, where he doesn't need to audition for roles. It's a matter of getting the dollar figure to where he can make as much money in acting as he can make fighting."
Fighting remains job one for Franklin for the time being, but, aside from Couture, no mixed martial artist has done more to position himself for a career transition to acting in the near future. In addition to the pair of films due out in 2010, Franklin is being considered for a part in an upcoming installment of the "Predator" film series, and he's awaiting word on funding for three other action-oriented movies.
It's a solid start in acting for the self-professed movie buff, whose nickname "Ace" stems from the Ace Ventura pet detective character played by Jim Carrey, who bares a resemblance to Franklin. Stewart says the reaction from the directors Franklin has worked with has been positive, which gives him confidence that his fighter has a future in the business. But, success for Franklin or any other mixed martial artist hinges on much more than just nailing a scene. It's about finding the right projects and roles.
"It doesn't need to be just when people make offers," he said. "Six to eight months ago, I was getting at least two offers a month for Rich to do movies. You have to weigh that. What's the budget of the movie? Who's distributing the film? Is it going to be a theatrical release or DVD? You don't just want to do a movie and nothing ever happens with it, and you don't have the next one lined up. It's all about building a career."
http://mmajunkie.com/news/16389/mmajunkie-com-fight-biz-hollywood-taps-mma-popularity-for-action-movie-genre.mma
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