Original Media, the shingle behind unscripted hits “Miami Ink” and “L.A. Ink,” has sealed a development pact with WWE wrestling legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
Under the pact, Original will partner with management/production company Caliber Media to create a reality show with Austin at the center. Producers are keeping tight wraps on the concept, which they plan to pitch to network and cable nets shortly.
“I’m a big fan of wrestling and of his,” said Original Media CEO Charlie Corwin. “He’s a dynamic personality, and I seek out characters that I feel are exciting and dramatic and entertaining. This show’s going to be big, broad, accessible, heroic and American.”
Corwin will exec produce with Caliber’s Jack Heller and Dallas Sonnier. The WWE is not involved in the deal — and Austin is not going by his wrestling-related “Stone Cold” moniker.
Austin said he’d been approached several times with TV projects over the past year, but didn’t find anything that felt right until Original and Caliber brought their idea to him.
“They came to me a couple of months ago with a vision and show concept that really got me excited,” Austin said.
Beyond the initial reality show, Original and Caliber are developing other projects, both scripted and unscripted, with Austin in mind.
Original has a first-look scripted deal with NBC Entertainment, where it’s landed a 13-episode order for the midseason series “The Philanthropist.”
