[MMA News : Other News
OTHER NEWS: Gina Carano to star in next Steven Soderbergh film
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Sep 6, 2009 - 4:04:56 PM
Women's MMA superstar Gina Carano will continue her push into the mainstream, as Variety.com reports the fighter will make her screen starring debut in a new movie from director Steven Soderbergh.
Soderbergh is the director of Ocean's 11, 12 and 13, along with the new comedy "The Informant!" starring Matt Damon which hits theaters this month.
His next project is entitled "Knockout," and will star Carano as "a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who is given a second chance to use her skills for constructive purposes."
Variety states the movie is "a closer cousin to 'La Femme Nikita' and 'Kill Bill' than 'Million Dollar Baby,' in that it doesn't take place in the fight ring," and that Soderbergh says it's more a "flat out action film in the James Bond mold." It will also be filmed around the world, and Soderbergh will surround Carano with name actors in the supporting roles.
Carano's star has risen due to her success in fights on Showtime and CBS, along with her stint on NBC's "American Gladiators." She has a role in an upcoming action movie "Blood and Bone," starring Michael Jai White, but "Knockout" will be her first starring role.
Penick's Analysis:
This is about as high of a high profile debut for a starring role as Carano could land. Soderbergh's a major name director and this film will receive a likely major push and plenty of buzz. It's also not the first time Soderbergh's taken a niche star and put her into a leading role. His last film, "The Girlfriend Experience," starred adult film actress Sasha Grey in her first non-adult film role. This will clearly delay Carano's return to action for Strikeforce, but whereas Quinton Jackson is seemingly pushing back a much more high profile fight for a supporting role while Carano will push her star even further by taking a starring role with no fight on the horizon. This is a great opportunity for Carano and will get her and her next fight even more attention.
So what do you guys think of this?
I dunno, but to me it seems like she's selling out. She was criticized early on for being too mainstream and just wanting to get famous. But I, and many others, saw it as her bringing attention to women's mma. But now that she's done that and she has already made herself well known, does she really need to be in a movie? This will only delay her mma return even more and it will bring up doubts again about whether or not she is serious about mma. I don't doubt that she is, but I just don't get why she has to do a movie. AND: She always says how all the attention and pressure on her is a lot to handle, yet by doing this, she is only increasing that attention. I dunno it just seems kind of contradictory.
