Jack Black, Mike White, and Jared Hess are teaming on an untitled secret-identity wrestling film as a starring vehicle for Black. Inspired by a real life story, Black will play a Mexican priest who moonlights as a masked Lucha Libre wrestler to raise money to save an orphanage destined for closure. All the while, the priest must keep his identity hidden from the wrestling community and the church.
Naturally.
White and Hess will co-write with Hess directing. Black & White Productions and Nick Movies will produce the feature that will be distributed by Paramount Pictures with production targeted for this fall.
"I can't think of two people I'd rather party with than Mike White and Jared Hess," said Black, who recently completed production on Peter Jackson's King Kong, adding, "I can't wait to get down to Mexico."
The project is the third collaboration between Jack Black and Mike White — the two played roommates in School of Rock, which White also wrote, and appeared together in Orange County, also written by White. White's other writing credits include The Good Girl and Chuck & Buck, for which he received Independent Spirit Awards for Best Screenplay and Best First Feature, respectively.
This feature will mark Jared Hess's first movie since his debut feature, Napoleon Dynamite, became an instant cult hit. Hess wrote and directed Napoleon Dynamite for roughly $400,000 and it has grossed nearly $45 million domestically.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Scott
This has the potential to be the best movie ever.
2 - Eric Olsen
or the worst
3 - Eric Berlin
I've got a pretty good feeling about this one. Jack Black has the ability to make what would make a bad film mediocre, and a mediocre film pretty good. And I'm curious to see the Napolean dude in some non-Napolean Mexican wrestling action.
4 - Eric Olsen
it is certainly high concept
5 - DrPat
With School of Rock, Black joined my list of "see everything this actor is in." I'll be watching for this one, too!
Thanks for the word.
6 - Tom Johnson
I've got a pretty good feeling about this one. Jack Black has the ability to make what would make a bad film mediocre, and a mediocre film pretty good.
Except for that one glaring bad mark, Saving Silverman. It was a bad film and nothing could save it, even Black's antics that normally would have made it at least somewhat worthwhile. Totally worthless, piece of trash, awful, no-good, very bad movie. It currently ranks as my #1 worst movie of all time (that I've seen) and nothing seems to be able to unseat it.
7 - Eric Olsen
I wonder if he's going to go into training
8 - Eric Berlin
Tom, I have to strongly disagree with you there. I love Saving Silverman -- it's a great lowbrow comedy, and gets better on repeat viewings. Zahn and Black are great together, and the entire proceeding has such a screwball verve to it that even dorky Jason Biggs in the middle of the action shines his dorky shine.
And to top it off, the drill sarge from Full Metal Jacket shows up as a gay high school football coach and Neil Diamond is the hero and nexus around which the plot revolves?
I'm so there, dude.
"A beer bong for m'lady?"
9 - Scott
"Saving Silverman," to me is a very mediocre film. In fact, if Jack Black were not in it at all I would think it was quite bad. So he does have the quality of making good movies even better ("orange county") and potentially bad movies great ("school of rock").
And Eric O., I agree this could also be the worst movie ever. The concept will either soar or fall flat on it's face. I'll see it one time either way...however, repeated viewings depend on the quality.
By the way, has anyone seen "envy"? All i've heard are bad things about it so i'm a little timid to watch it.
10 - Eric Olsen
Scott, we were extremely pleasantly surprised by Envy, which features two scene-chewers in Black and Stiller, who play somewhat contrary to type and are actually fairly subtle and even touching. I wouldn't say it's great, but it's surprisingly good.
11 - Eric Berlin
What's your take on Saving Silverman, Mr. Olsen? I fear that you lack my enthusiasm for that bright star of the screen, but I'm curious to hear nonetheless.
12 - Eric Olsen
I thought it had moments but didn't really hang together very well.
I like the IDEA of Jack Black very much, and sometimes he matches that idea, but other times he is either a parody of himself or just kind of dull. But when he is good he is great.
I think the Mexican wrestling priest theme has the potential to be either great or awful depending on the tone
13 - Eric Berlin
I think Black is at his best when he's his goofy, SoCal, high energy self, and it all comes together as part of his mock-rock band, Tenacious D. I'd love to see a feature length film about that epic duo's adventures.
By the way, how many purely comedic vehicles hang together well? Not very many, me thinks.
14 - Eric Berlin
The above being said, I can't wait to see King Kong turns out. I just have no idea what the hell Jackson is going to turn out with that one, but you can bet I will be watching to find out.
15 - Eric Olsen
is Black the comic relief?
16 - Paul Roy
Could that sound any funnier?
17 - Eric Olsen
in a good way or bad way?
18 - Eric Berlin
I'm guessing Black is the unwitting bad guy, the promoter who brings Kong to the civilized world. Expect lots of crazed, tortured expressions, I'm guessing, maybe not so much of the comedy tip.
19 - Eric Olsen
or maybe he is King Kong - he DID just play a shark
20 - Scott
"Tenacious D. I'd love to see a feature length film about that epic duo's adventures."
Funny you should mention that Eric B., as there is a Tenacious D feature length film currently in production I believe.
21 - Eric Berlin
Scott, I knew it was in development... are you sure it's actually in production already?
22 - Eric Olsen
it's in developmental production
23 - Scott
From what I can tell filming *may* have already started. One site said March. Another said April. Yet another simply said filming would start in "summer." The info on it is a bit all over the map. But it's gonna be hilarious.
24 - Eric Berlin
Hilarity is indeed ensured... if it ever gets made.
25 - TigerMask
Sigh, the "Priest masked wrestler aiding orphanage" is a total ripoff of King(the jaguar masked mexican wrestler) of the Tekken videogame series..
although it was much more serious in there... Also King was already a ripoff/homage to Tigermask, a great '70 anime..
I hope this movie doesn't turn up a comical parody of them, i hope it stands on his own...