MasterKiller
08-01-2007, 08:04 AM
UFCjunkie.com (www.ufcjunkie.com) has learned that UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture is set to star in "The Scorpion King: The Akkadian," a major motion picture from Universal Studios.
The film will be a prequel to the 2002 film "The Scorpion King" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, which in turn was a prequel to the films "The Mummy" (1999) and "The Mummy Returns" (2001).
"It's my first lead in a feature film," Couture told UFCjunkie.com. "I'm playing the Rock's nemesis, but it's a teenage Rock in this movie. It's a prequel to the others, and I'm the bad warrior king. I leave Oct. 3 for South Africa to begin shooting."
This will be Randy's first starring role and his second feature casting since he recently completed shooting the mixed-martial-arts drama "Red Belt" for director David Mamet. "Red Belt" also stars former "Home Improvement" star Tim Allen, as well as Shooto and PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran Enson Inoue.
Couture, a UFC Hall of Famer, came out of retirement earlier this year to defeat Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight championship. Since the UFC 68 victory, Couture has reemerged as one of MMA's biggest stars.
Couture next fights against Gabriel Gonzaga in the main event of UFC 74. The event takes place Aug. 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight card also features a bout between former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and top contender Josh Koscheck (the winner of that fight will earn a title shot in early 2008).
The film will be a prequel to the 2002 film "The Scorpion King" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, which in turn was a prequel to the films "The Mummy" (1999) and "The Mummy Returns" (2001).
"It's my first lead in a feature film," Couture told UFCjunkie.com. "I'm playing the Rock's nemesis, but it's a teenage Rock in this movie. It's a prequel to the others, and I'm the bad warrior king. I leave Oct. 3 for South Africa to begin shooting."
This will be Randy's first starring role and his second feature casting since he recently completed shooting the mixed-martial-arts drama "Red Belt" for director David Mamet. "Red Belt" also stars former "Home Improvement" star Tim Allen, as well as Shooto and PRIDE Fighting Championships veteran Enson Inoue.
Couture, a UFC Hall of Famer, came out of retirement earlier this year to defeat Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight championship. Since the UFC 68 victory, Couture has reemerged as one of MMA's biggest stars.
Couture next fights against Gabriel Gonzaga in the main event of UFC 74. The event takes place Aug. 25 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight card also features a bout between former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and top contender Josh Koscheck (the winner of that fight will earn a title shot in early 2008).