CM Punk and AJ Lee have been announced for roles in an upcoming horror film being directed by a WWE Studios veteran.
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Punk and Lee have supporting roles in Rabid, a remake of a 1977 film that was directed by David Cronenberg. Punk has been announced for the role of “Billy” while Lee will play “Kira.” The movie will star Laura Vandervoort and Ben Hollingsworth.
Interestingly, the project is being directed (and written) by The Soska Twins. They have WWE ties as they formerly directed two WWE Studios projects, Vendetta and See No Evil 2. As for Punk, this will be his first foray into feature films (he’s done television projects and voiceovers in an animated film).
Punk previously spoke about a time where WWE had talked to him about doing a film (12 Rounds 2) but the role eventually went to Randy Orton, something that didn’t sit well with Punk.
The official press release announcing Punk and Lee’s involvement in Rabid is below.
Production Begins on the Feature Film RABID
– Featuring CM Punk and AJ Mendez-
– Written and Directed by The Soska Sisters (WWE Studios’ See No Evil 2 and Vendetta) –
– Remake of the Classic David Cronenberg 1977 Horror Feature Film –
– Starring Laura Vandervoort and Ben Hollingsworth –
– Body Horror Meets the World of High Fashion –
Toronto, Canada – July 17, 2018 – Canadian production company Back 40 Pictures announced today that production has begun in the Greater Toronto Area on the feature film Rabid. Written and Directed by Jen and Sylvia Soska (Dead Hooker in A Trunk, American Mary) and John Serge. Rabid stars Laura Vandervoort (Jigsaw, BITTEN) as “Rose” a demure seamstress who goes through a radical transformation after electing for plastic surgery following a disfiguring accident. Ben Hollingsworth (CODE BLACK) is “Brad” a fashion photographer. Rabid is a remake of the classic David Cronenberg 1977 horror feature film which was executive produced by Ivan Reitman. Rabid also stars Hanneke Talbot (PLAYING DEAD) who portrays Rose’s best friend Chelsea and Mackenzie Gray (LEGION, RIVERDALE) as arrogant fashion designer “Gunter”. Rabid will also feature WWE superstars CM Punk as “Billy” and his wife New York Times best-selling author AJ Mendez as “Kira”.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be re-imagining David’s 1977 body horror classic, Rabid, with such incredible support behind us. We are not fans of the current trend of soulless remakes as they disrespect the fans and the original body of work. Our Rabid is a continuation of the thoughts and conversation David started, but modernized through a female perspective. The film will not only honour his original Rabid but also Cronenberg’s entire body of work. This would not have been possible without a team behind us that cares about the artist as well as the fans,” said Writer-Directors Jen and Sylvia Soska.
Drawing influence from the original movie, the remake is set in the seductive and glamourous world of high fashion and will follow Rose (Laura Vandervoort), a young woman whose disfigurement after an accident leads to a radical and untested stem-cell treatment. While turning Rose into the belle of the ball, the experimental transformation comes at a price.
“I don’t think there’s any bigger fans of David Cronenberg than the sisters, so it was really exciting when they agreed to helm this project. They will put their own stamp on the movie of course, but with nothing but the utmost respect to David, and that’s important when you’re remaking a classic horror film like Rabid, says producer Paul Lalonde. The Soska twins are the hottest young directors in the horror space right now, and our talented cast headed by Laura (Vandervoort) and Ben (Hollingsworth) will give horror fans a rich and chilling character-driven story with plenty of body horror. We’ve got a fantastic cast, a great crew, top notch special effects and industry leading stunt coordinators. And having the whole story set against the backdrop of high fashion, that’s not only a great chance for some important social commentary, it’s also a really fun twist on horror. A peek inside the world of haute torture if you will.”
A71 Entertainment will distribute Rabid in Canada with 101 Films handling the United Kingdom, Back 40 Pictures orchestrating theatrical distribution duties in the United States, and Shout! Studios’ Scream Factory imprint distributing the film across multiple platforms in the U.S. Rabid is produced by Back 40 Pictures in conjunction with Telefilm Canada, Ontario Media Development Corporation and London based, Media Finance Capital. Michael Walker, Paul Lalonde and John Vidette are serving as producers.
