The WWE Universe is officially a part of the microdrama world.
This marks the first project from the two companies since they announced their partnership in July of this year.
Nicolas Caceres
McIntyre in particular takes on a central role in the show, playing Roscoe, the right-hand man and tech expert to secret agent Adam Hawke (Mattson). This is the latest major acting role for McIntire, who has starred in a number of films in recent years.
“I was actually in Barcelona filming ‘The Last Druid’ when I got the call from Ben Houser,” McIntyre said. “I’ve known him for years through the WWE. When he comes with an idea, I know it’s something good…Right from the first conversation, I was like, ‘This is something I want to be involved in.’”
And while McIntyre says he still has “many years” left in his WWE career, taking on acting roles outside the company has given him the chance to stretch himself in new ways.
“I was so nervous until I spoke to Dave Batista, who I’ve known for years, and he was like, ‘Wait till the red light goes on, and you’ll know exactly what to do,’” he said. “And sure enough, when the red light goes on, I relax, and it’s so exciting.”
Mattson, whose past microdrama credits include “Married to the Don” and “My Poor Husband Is a Billionaire,” was impressed with McIntyre from the moment he stepped on set.
“I was told ‘He’s tall and he’s big,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m tall and big.’ Then he walked on set and I thought, ‘This dude is like The Iron Giant,’” Mattson said with a laugh. “He was a really nice guy, and I think I told him, ‘You need to keep pursuing acting because you really have the the knack for it. You’ve got the natural chops.’”
Having been in the microdrama space for years now, Mattson said that watching the evolution of the genre has been an incredible experience.
“I started back when we were using iPhones, and now we’re using ARRIs and REDs,” he said. “This is a full production, like a cinema microdrama, and it’s really cool…We’re shooting 12-14 hours a day, and we’re shooting maybe 20 scenes, so we’re moving pretty quick. So everybody is very professional, and they know exactly what they’re doing.”
Hao feels that the WWE partnership represents a milestone for ReelShort, and portends well for the future of working with other major brands.
“Like with Crocs, the first show we did for Crocs is aiming for Valentine’s Day this coming year,” she said. “So not only can we use the content to tell branded stories, we can definitely help them aim a specific campaign or season or a new product launch…And in terms of brands, I do see that it will become an alternative marketing campaign or campaign options for other brands.”
Nicolas Caceres
