Tentative plans for a Chris Benoit Movie

[rge2010]

I picked this up on another site. Interesting is the word. Can't see any wrestlers wanting to take part in this. It will obviously paint Benoit in a bad light - if it tells the truth then it has to!

Who could you see playing Benoit?

SRG Films
has signed an agreement with Richard O'Sullivan to do create a movie on the life and death of Chris Benoit. Half of the $7 million budget is said to have been raised so if the other half is raised, the movie would be filmed in 2011.

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

I honestly don't want to see this movie. It's hard enough watching a Chris Benoit match period. I don't want to see the events of that weekend dramatically performed. It's still a little too soon to have those events put on screen.

However, the first actor that came to my mind that could portray Chris Benoit is Matt Damon. If you look at a picture of Benoit and Damon, I think Damon could pull it off. He's also in Benoit's age group when the murders supposedly happened. So, Damon would look realistic in the role at least from an age prospective. Damon would probably have to bulk up considerably for the role as Benoit wasn't a small guy at the end of his life.

I just hope that if they tell the Benoit story, they tell the whole story. They need to show just how tragic this whole story was. This includes the public image, the private family moments, the progression of Benoit's career, the steroid issues. Knowing Hollywood, they'll probably turn Chris Benoit into the next Jack Torrence (The Shining) without going much into the background of what caused him to go crazy and do the heinous atrocities he did.

 

[ABMorales787]

Holy Hollywood Exploitation, Batman! A Chris Benoit flick, huh? A total bitchslap to pro wrestling, fan's and WWE courtesy of Hollywood. I betcha that if this flick were under the WWE Films banner, the media would just piss all over the idea of it. TO be honest, this is wrong and unfair. WWE faced a huge wave of backlash for the Benoit incident. Now there are plans to make money out of it by the movie industry? Totally and absolutely disgusting. I don't give a shit how good it turns out. If the media flamed WWE for it, they should do the same for this movie idea.

 

[JDX]

The Wrestler + The Crying Game + Boogie Nights = Chris Benoit Movie
Funny, I'm reading Ring of Hell which would probably be the best plotline for the film. It drags everyone down but even if this thing turned out to be the greatest cinematic masterpiece ever done, no one is going to see it. Too damn depressing. I felt like shit after The Wrestler and Gran Torino; this will make me kill myself for god sakes.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

I don't see how this movie can happen under a factual banner - as WWe will not even acknowledge his existence now and they own the last 15 odd years of his wrestling career. The filmmakers would not be able to use anything WWe/ WCW/ ECW related and as this is the main public archive of his life - how would they be able to even start? The rest would all be supposition; the impacts of concussions, roids and other medications on his sanity and what ultimately drove him to what he did. This ain't the Wrestler - so anything other than the complete truth would be to make a mockery of the deaths of three people. As such should such an abomination come forth, I couldn't give a toss about who would play who!

 

[Rampage Bentley]

Meh, I'd watch it...

I completely agree with Killjoy that it's kind of hypocritical that they can make a movie for it and it's okay, but WWE would get flamed for it. Welcome to America, hypocrisy has become the new building block and foundation here.

Politics aside, it really depends on what they do with it, if they paint Benoit as a tormented soul who after years of abuse lost his mind, it might not be so bad, but I'm expecting steriod induced hulk rages to be put into the movie.

 

[Simmo]

I don't see how this movie can happen under a factual banner - as WWe will not even acknowledge his existence now and they own the last 15 odd years of his wrestling career. The filmmakers would not be able to use anything WWe/ WCW/ ECW related and as this is the main public archive of his life - how would they be able to even start?

The easiest way to get around this is to put it under the banner of "Based on a True Story" that way you can change specific events to make it more entertaining and get away from any copyright infirngements...

Either do that or make it about a fictional wrestler with a similar storyline (but we will all know it's about Benoit)...

Still think it would be worth watching though, as for possible casting of Benoit I would go with Chris Hemsworth.

 

[justinsayne]

However, the first actor that came to my mind that could portray Chris Benoit is Matt Damon.

Dude seriously?, the budget for this movie is $7 mil. Damon would cost them all of that and then some, plus I pretty sure he's not going to want to play the role of a wrestler that out of nowhere lashed out and brutally murdered his family, I think Damon as Benoit is ridiculously unrealistic, if anything this movie is going to be a straight to DVD release and feature a cast of no name actors

I really fail to see how this movie can accurately be made, nobody even knows what the real facts are, nobody knows what exactly happened, and WWE isn't going to allow any of their talent to be portrayed or have anything to do with this project. Making this movie is just pure bad taste, the surviving members of Benoits family, his close friends, and his fans are not going to want to see his tragic demise, and decent into the dark world of a sick mind that murdered his family then took his own life, for fuck sake, Benoit still has two children from a previous marriage, wasn't it bad enough for them to go through everything they've already went through with the death of their brother, step mom, and father, every time they turned to some news channel they had to be reminded of the monster their father became in his final 48 hrs., now some jackass is gonna make a movie about, not cool, not cool at all

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

The easiest way to get around this is to put it under the banner of "Based on a True Story" that way you can change specific events to make it more entertaining and get away from any copyright infirngements...

Either do that or make it about a fictional wrestler with a similar storyline (but we will all know it's about Benoit)...

Still think it would be worth watching though, as for possible casting of Benoit I would go with Chris Hemsworth.

I may be wrong but I believe when only a small amount of a bio film can be proven they have to use the term "Inspired by/ based on real events".

Either/ or though, it'd be a bastardised version of their lives and deaths and would be just one possible scenario in a tragic story that has many possible scenarios. No closure so no point!

 

[JJYanks121]

Are you guys serious? Do you realize that every serial killer that has ever graced this earth has a movie made about them? Do you realize that 9/11 has had multiple big screen features about that, which might I add is A LOT WORSE than the Chris Benoit incident? By comparison, the Chris Benoit incident is minute and to think that a movie WOULDN'T be made out of it is almost silly.

I actually have no issue with a film being made about Benoit. Heck, if it's done well, this could actually be a major positive. If the Benoit character is portrayed as one with demons who ends it in a terrible way, and then the movie shows how WWE reacted and fixed its drug policy, it might be ok. I know there's a chance that WWE is put in a negative light with this, but honestly, will it be any worse than the light on it when the incident actually happened? If anything, people will check out today's product to see if the allegations are true and find that today's product is better and safer as a result of the Benoit tragedy.

If you've seen films like Summer of Sam, the two films about 9/11, Dahmer, and others, seeing a movie about Benoit should be no problem. Things happen in life and cinematic interpretation is soon to follow. There's a fucking movie about facebook for crying out loud! This is the way of the world, and if anything, we as wrestling fans need to embrace it. Not saying we should embrace what happened, but perhaps this movie will be the final closure on a sad chapter in wrestling history.

 

[GideonGodsend]

i would possibly read a book about it. but definately not a movie, i wouldnt want to see the movie because we'd know how it would end, and i dont want to see that

 

[Stormtrooper]

Are you guys serious? Do you realize that every serial killer that has ever graced this earth has a movie made about them? Do you realize that 9/11 has had multiple big screen features about that, which might I add is A LOT WORSE than the Chris Benoit incident? By comparison, the Chris Benoit incident is minute and to think that a movie WOULDN'T be made out of it is almost silly.

Yes, serial killers/serial killings and terrorists/terrorist acts are exponentially more despicable then the Benoit Murder/Suicide. No doubt about it. However, the one thing with those is that there was not just a story to tell, but something compelling about the films (I'm not condoning the actions, just saying that there was something that could be made into entertainment out of these heinous, despicable acts). People enjoy watching horror films, and enjoy watching stories of muderers going on killing rampages. The Chris Benoit story would be spending 90 minutes wasting time to go into 5 minutes of the Killings. Are you gonna tell me that's worth spending money/time buying/watching? Cause I'll say it isn't.

I actually have no issue with a film being made about Benoit. Heck, if it's done well, this could actually be a major positive. If the Benoit character is portrayed as one with demons who ends it in a terrible way, and then the movie shows how WWE reacted and fixed its drug policy, it might be ok. I know there's a chance that WWE is put in a negative light with this, but honestly, will it be any worse than the light on it when the incident actually happened? If anything, people will check out today's product to see if the allegations are true and find that today's product is better and safer as a result of the Benoit tragedy.

You really didn't just say that a movie about a pro wrestling killing his family and himself can be POSITIVE, did you? Abso-damn-lutely NOTHING positive can come out of this. All it does is dig up old memories that cast wrestling in the most negative light possible.

If you've seen films like Summer of Sam, the two films about 9/11, Dahmer, and others, seeing a movie about Benoit should be no problem. Things happen in life and cinematic interpretation is soon to follow. There's a fucking movie about facebook for crying out loud! This is the way of the world, and if anything, we as wrestling fans need to embrace it. Not saying we should embrace what happened, but perhaps this movie will be the final closure on a sad chapter in wrestling history.

The biggest problem is, as I mentioned, the entertainment value of such a film. The aforementioned films all had a story that would be able to keep people in their seats for 90+ minutes. 90+ minutes about a professional wrestler (even if it shows him having issues) then him killing his family/self doesn't work.

Unless they change the story to have him kill his family, then a bunch of other people, then they can maybe make a movie. If they made a documentary, it WOULD work. If they make a fiction film and keep the story as-is, then their movie won't work, because there won't be anything compelling about it.

 

[roethlisberger78]

NO NO NO totally disrespectful. I mean they would try and make it a feel good story because of the things he did in his life but with the ending there is no feel good about it. I felt nothing but sorrow and shock when this story first happend. One I couldnt believe that it happend and two it was just like totally way out in left feild. I gotta admit I think a bunch of people would watch it, the story was huge but not in a good way. I look at it like this and I could be wrong but someone doing this movie is almost like someone making a movie about owen hart and his death, it would just be wrong. I could see WWE doing a movie about him and how he made it past many hurdles in his life but then it would have to end, and the WWE would be looked apon as dicks if they tried it, so what gives this company the feeling that they can try it. I guess over all if the story was made up it would be an amazing drama but people this aint made up. This was a real man and a real down fall that took him and his familes lives. I just dont think it could or should happen.. Some things are best left alone.

 

[JJYanks121]

Yes, serial killers/serial killings and terrorists/terrorist acts are exponentially more despicable then the Benoit Murder/Suicide. No doubt about it. However, the one thing with those is that there was not just a story to tell, but something compelling about the films (I'm not condoning the actions, just saying that there was something that could be made into entertainment out of these heinous, despicable acts). People enjoy watching horror films, and enjoy watching stories of muderers going on killing rampages. The Chris Benoit story would be spending 90 minutes wasting time to go into 5 minutes of the Killings. Are you gonna tell me that's worth spending money/time buying/watching? Cause I'll say it isn't.


You really didn't just say that a movie about a pro wrestling killing his family and himself can be POSITIVE, did you? Abso-damn-lutely NOTHING positive can come out of this. All it does is dig up old memories that cast wrestling in the most negative light possible.



The biggest problem is, as I mentioned, the entertainment value of such a film. The aforementioned films all had a story that would be able to keep people in their seats for 90+ minutes. 90+ minutes about a professional wrestler (even if it shows him having issues) then him killing his family/self doesn't work.

Unless they change the story to have him kill his family, then a bunch of other people, then they can maybe make a movie. If they made a documentary, it WOULD work. If they make a fiction film and keep the story as-is, then their movie won't work, because there won't be anything compelling about it.

You definitely make some good points. What I was trying to do with my post was to take a different perspective. Everyone seems to be up in arms, and the reason for that is that everyone on here are wrestling fans. Thus, we are protective of the industry we love, one that doesn't have a great reputation to begin with. Knowing the damage this tragedy did the first time, people didn't want wrestling going through that again. I can understand that perspective.

I can also understand the perspective that most non wrestling fans won't read Chris and Nancy, they won't read Ring of Hell, and they won't read any other somewhat biographical accounts of this tragedy. They saw it on the news and maybe Larry King and that's about it. Perhaps the portrayal of this story, showing what he went through as far as concussions, drug abuse, and personal demons could shed some light on what wrestling used to be. Then, hopefully people can see what it is now and that the industry is in fact improving. In that regard, that's the positive that can be taken from a mainstream film being made. I'm not saying the act is positive, nor is exploiting it, but if it allows for people to examine today's wrestling industry as a result of the tragedy and they see that it's better than it was, than that in and of itself is a positive.

As far as an entertainment perspective, if you build up his life to the peak of winning the gold, but show that he had demons and it was all downhill from there, the movie could be intriguing. Obviously, we know the ending, but the story is unique, and unique does sell. I understand that it was a horrible tragedy for the wrestling community, but I was just trying to show a little different perspective. I hope everyone understands.

 

[Heartbreak_Kid_707]

If this happens we all know it wikll give WWE another black eye. Even though WWE doest acknowladge Benoit and even though they rightfully couldnt use any of his wrestling career in wwe/wcw/ecw it still would.

Frankly never was a fan of Benopit and his head trama/roids was a scape goat for what he did..i have no sympathy for him and the movie would be awfull...

How many other wrestlers have had head trama, or use steroids and didnt slaughter thier family and thierself?

NUFF SAID

 

[ABMorales787]

Are you guys serious? Do you realize that every serial killer that has ever graced this earth has a movie made about them? Do you realize that 9/11 has had multiple big screen features about that, which might I add is A LOT WORSE than the Chris Benoit incident? By comparison, the Chris Benoit incident is minute and to think that a movie WOULDN'T be made out of it is almost silly.

I really don't give a damn about other movies detailing the lifes of other killers. It could be about Charles Manson, the Virginia Tech massacre, 9/11, the Chupacabras or Satan and I really wouldn't give two shits. But none of the aforementioned worked for a company that was ostracized as brutally as WWE was for giving the man a tribute without knowing the full story. Double standard? You're damn right it is. And a pretty disgusting one at that. But then again, most of our society will be too stupid to realize it.

I actually have no issue with a film being made about Benoit. Heck, if it's done well, this could actually be a major positive. If the Benoit character is portrayed as one with demons who ends it in a terrible way, and then the movie shows how WWE reacted and fixed its drug policy, it might be ok. I know there's a chance that WWE is put in a negative light with this, but honestly, will it be any worse than the light on it when the incident actually happened? If anything, people will check out today's product to see if the allegations are true and find that today's product is better and safer as a result of the Benoit tragedy.

Well yeah, sure. Because WWE didn't get enough heat in the past, lets just remind the world of it. Not only will this have the media wanting to peck around until they find something new to exploit, but we'll also have to deal with repercussions in WWE's overall product.

If you've seen films like Summer of Sam, the two films about 9/11, Dahmer, and others, seeing a movie about Benoit should be no problem. Things happen in life and cinematic interpretation is soon to follow. There's a fucking movie about facebook for crying out loud! This is the way of the world, and if anything, we as wrestling fans need to embrace it. Not saying we should embrace what happened, but perhaps this movie will be the final closure on a sad chapter in wrestling history.

Who receives the beef for 9/11? The terrorists, right? They are not an international entertainment organization that has a hardcore following. And in all the other movies you mentioned, the person getting the heat is dead. Hell, I wouldn't mind a movie based on puertorican serial killer and rapist, Toño Bicicleta because of how crazy his life was. But Chris Benoit? No. There's an industry with millions of followers that would suffer a great deal of backlash because of this Hollywood hypocrisy.