-- WWE.com sent out the following presser earlier today: LOS ANGELES – WWE Studios, the theatrical arm of World Wrestling Entertainment, is holding open casting calls in Los Angeles this Saturday, Feb. 6 and in New York, Feb. 7, to find a young male actor to fill the title role in its upcoming film, tentatively titled, “Big Red." Set against the backdrop of the mid-'60s, “Big Red” is a family-friendly, coming-of-age story which follows 12-year-old Andy Nichol, a bright student who avoids anything that might bring him ridicule or attention. When Andy’s English teacher, Mr. Simon, teams him on a project with the school’s biggest outcast and social pariah, Stanley (aka “Big Red”), Mr. Simon unleashes a series of events that changes the lives of both young men forever. Aspiring actors for the role of Stanley/”Big Red” must be young males between 13 and 16 years old, at least five-feet, eight-inches tall with red or light-colored hair. Applicants who do not meet the criteria will not be admitted to the audition. Executive Vice President of WWE Studios, Mike Pavone, describes the character as “being very thoughtful and older than his years with a very soulful and peaceful quality about him.” The film will begin production in New Orleans at the end of February for four weeks. Casting Call Details Los Angeles The open casting call will take place in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 10 a.m. -5 p.m. at Sunset Gower Studios, 1438 North Gower Street, Bldg. 35, Suite 270 (Street parking only; entrance on Gower St.). New York The open casting call in New York will be on Sunday, Feb. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 330 West 38th Street, Suite 170 (between 8 and 9th Avenues).
-- Former Minnesota Governor and WWE Hall of Famer Jesse Ventura is set to release his fourth book on March 8th, titled American Conspiracies: Lies, Lies, and More Dirty Lies that the Government Tells Us. Here is the promotional material for the book… Jesse Ventura tells it like it is, and this time he tackles our government's biggest secrets. In this explosive account of wrongful acts and on-going cover-ups, Jesse Ventura takes a systematic look at the wide gap between what the American government knows and what it reveals to the American people. For too long, we the people have sat by and let politicians and bureaucrats from both parties obfuscate and lie. And according to this former Navy SEAL, former pro wrestler, and former Minnesota governor, the media is complicit in these acts of deception. For too long, the mainstream press has refused to consider alternate possibilities and to ask the tough questions. Here, Ventura looks closely at the theories that have been presented over the years and separates the fact from the fiction. In Ventura's eyes, the murder of Abraham Lincoln and the assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, all need to be re-examined. Was Watergate presented honestly, or was the CIA involved? Did the Republican Party set out to purposefully steal two elections on behalf of George W. Bush? Has all the evidence been presented about the 9/11 attacks or is there another angle that the media is afraid to explore? And finally, is the collapse of today's financial order and the bailout plan by the Federal Reserve the widest-reaching conspiracy ever perpetrated? "If you're talking outspoken, unconventional, and no-holds-barred, you're talking Jesse Ventura."—Larry King
-- The main event of the TNA Lockdown PPV will be the TNA World Champion (currently AJ Styles) defending against the winner of the tournament that will be held at Against All Odds on February 14th.
-- Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair's names are heavily being pushed in press releases to promote the show, but there are currently no plans for them to wrestle on the show.
