Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies

How does Cody Knotts describe his newest movie venture?

“It’s good, old-fashioned American violence,” the North Strabane newspaper publisher-turned-movie producer said.

The newest film, “Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies,” is still in the planning stages—but fans of either genre can get a sneak preview this weekend at a test shoot in West Newton.

Knotts, who recently sold his weekly newspaper, The Weekly Recorder, is also looking for folks to come down to event and act as extras.

“This is a concept shoot,” he said. “It’s so we can promote the idea.”

The event is being held in conjunction with a Renegade Wrestling Alliance event, which means that those wishing to attend will be required to pay a $12 admission fee. Admission for children is $6.

So far, he said he’s secured about 150 extras to sit in the crowd and watch as pro wrestlers such as Pittsburgh’s own Shane Douglas wrestle with zombies. But he said he still needs help, and is hoping for 300 people to watch the action come Saturday.

“There will be wrestlers made up as zombies fighting with pro wrestlers,” Knotts said. “If you’re sitting in the audience, we just want you to sit and relax and give us your natural reaction.”

Oh yeah, and possibly be attacked. By zombies.

“We’ll be pulling up a couple people from the audience to be eaten,” Knotts said with a laugh.

Doors open at 4 p.m., and the shoot starts an hour later. The test shoot, he said, should be completed by 6:30—when the RWA show begins.

This is the second movie venture for Knotts, whose freshman effort, “Lucifer’s Holy Desire” is in post production.

But he said “Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies” will have a higher budget.

While he declined to discuss investors, he did confirm the budget for the movie is $4 million.

Along with his local film crew, Knotts will be flanked by students from the Douglas Education Center—who will create the special makeup effects.

While he and a friend, Matt Deering, wrote the original script, Knotts admitted that it is being completely overhauled.

“It’s not the normal casting process,” he said. “These are guys playing themselves.”

And Douglas, known in the professional wrestling world as The Franchise, said Knotts’ flexibility with the script was one reason he decided to sign on to work on the project.

“There is a language that wrestlers speak that fans wouldn’t be able to follow,” he said, adding that Knotts has implemented his script changes based on his 30-years of experience in the professional wrestling arena. “I know this character inside and out, and he’s been very adaptive.”

And Douglas added that while he has been approached “10,000 times” before about movie ideas, he was intrigued by the idea of wrestlers facing off against the undead—especially at a time when shows like “The Walking Dead” are a pop culture phenomenon.

While acknowledging that there is a “very fine line from realism to campy” he thinks the cast and crew can pull it off.

And he thinks it will also mark a return to the type of wrestling he knows and loves.

“It takes wrestling back to what it used to be—it’s not supposed to be a pretty dance,” he said.

To make sure of that, Knotts has also announced that Terry Funk, who he calls the king of hardcore wrestling, will be the chief choreographer for the movie.

Knotts said more cast announcements will be forthcoming.

For more information on the test shoot visit the Facebook page here.

This story originally appeared on Canon-Mac Patch