Arnold Schwarzenegger Bodybuilding Drama 'Pump' Bought by Showtime
Showtime bought a new drama series about a no-frills gym in 1970's Venice Beach, Calif., which will star Arnold Schwarzenegger in a recurring role,The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The project, titled Pump, traces the origin of the present-day fitness industry and culture of body worship to a single 1,000-square-foot concrete room on Pacific Avenue, a gym called Pump.
Schwarzenegger was brought in to the project after the original creator brought the idea to Two and a Half Men executive producers Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, who invited the former bodybuilder and California governor to join the series.
"We loved it, but I said the only way you can really tell this story is if we can get Arnold involved," recalls Eric Tannenbaum.
"The birth of the fitness/bodybuilding revolution can literally be traced back to the days when Arnold arrived in the U.S.," Tannenbaum added.
He reached out to CAA, which reps him as well as the former governor, and set up a meeting. Once he was signed on, Schwarzenegger began sharing stories of his past.
The hourlong drama will be written and executive produced by Michael Konyves (Barney's Version, The Last Knight), with The Tannenbaum Co.'s Eric and Kim Tannenbaum (Two and a Half Men) and Schwarzenegger attached as exec producers. If the show is ordered to become a series, Schwarzenegger intends to recur.
The project, which was pitched exclusively to Showtime, comes less than a year after Schwarzenegger spoke about his own bodybuilding past in an ESPN 30 for 30 short film titled Arnold's Blueprint. The latter focused on his teen years in the Austrian Army, where he began the bodybuilding career that flourished at Gold's Gym in Venice and would ultimately lead to his stardom.
Following his stint as governor, Schwarzenegger returned to Hollywood and has starred in Expendables 2 andThe Last Stand. He also published a memoir, Total Recall, in October 2012.
His action thriller Escape Plan opposite Sylvester Stallone is scheduled to open in theaters in September.
