It appears that a biopic focused on “Macho Man” Randy Savage could be heading to the big screen.
According to Deadline, Kenan Thompson’s Artists For Artists production company is developing a project about the life and career of the pro wrestling legend, who remains one of the most famous figures in the industry’s history more than two decades after he wrestled his last match and nearly 15 years after his 2011 death.
“Macho man Randy Savage was the greatest showman of all time and the OG bad boy of entertainment,” AFA CEO Johnny Ryan Jr. told Deadline. “His outfits were as electric as his personality and he’s so much more than an artist, he’s an icon. Lanny and Eric did a great job capturing this story and the crazy ’80s wrestling era that turnt wrestling figures into life long pop culture icons.”
Added Thompson: “Beyond excited for this one!! Macho Man is hands down one of the greatest of all time and can’t wait to bring his story to the screen!!!”
Thompson and Ryan are both set to serve as producers on the project, which is based off a script written by Savage’s late-brother Lanny Poffo and Eric Shapiro. Thompson possesses his own personal connection to the two-time WWF world champion, who he appeared alongside at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards in 1999.
While pro wrestling biopics have certainly proven easier said than done — projects focused on Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair have stalled in recent years — a film focused on Savage would certainly possess plenty of source material. Born Randy Poffo, the Columbus, Ohio, native was a minor league catcher in the St. Louis Cardinals organization before emerging as one of pro wrestling’s biggest stars during the industry’s boom period in the 1980s and all the way through the “Monday Night Wars” of the late-1990s.
Not only is Savage’s story a fascinating one, but it also includes no shortage of characters, between his ex-wife Miss Elizabeth, biggest rival in Hogan and former employer in Vince McMahon, among others. Even if the history of the genre suggests that such a project will likely face plenty of roadblocks, there will surely be no shortage of fans hopeful that this is the rare pro wrestling biopic that actually comes to fruition.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.