EXCLUSIVE: MMA champion and The A Team Star Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has teamed up with multi-talented Joel Silverman to form Rampage ‘n J Productions, a new production company that will focus on Silverman’s specialty – biographies, book adaptations and TV dramas, particularly in the US area Crime.
The West Los Angeles-based company will also focus on launching Jackson’s action-comedy film and television career. Heading development for Rampage ‘n J is Vice President Kylie Lewis, a former creative executive at DC. During his time there, the USC film school graduate worked on the John Cena series Peacemaker and coming The Penguin with Colin Farrell for Max.
Silverman explained that he first approached Jackson back in 2018 with the idea of making a children’s anti-bullying show titled Rampage to the rescuein which Jackson and a child psychologist travel throughout the United States eliminating bullying situations
“We’re still going to do this show,” Silverman said. “We just bonded like brothers – brothers from very different mothers. I realized that everyone loves Ram. He is simply a star. He’s smart, super nice and hilarious. Makes us all laugh with his impressions of everyone from surfer boys to grandmothers. I saw him call his father using a voice pretending to be a woman he dated 40 years ago. And Dad believed it.”
Silverman added that he is finishing a script titled Alpha Familya buddy action comedy “for Ram’s post-fight film debut,” and hopes Michael Cera will co-star with him.
“My boy J is a genius and has been a star for years. As my fighting career now comes to an end, I look forward to entering the acting and producing ring,” Jackson said in a statement to Deadline. “I’m getting to work with Liam [Neeson] and Bradley [Cooper] got me hooked straight away. They are the best actors and even better guys.”
Jackson added that he’s “approaching the behavior I do in MMA.” I’m used to training every day. That means acting classes, a coach and everything it takes to be the best I can be.”
As a Humanitas and WGA Award nominee, Silverman had a series of pitches from multiple studios for his scripts Garo at Disney with Jerry Bruckheimer as producer, Undefeated with Universal and Scott Stuber, and Fly with Fox 2000 and Ed Zwick. The writer has also previously turned two YA books from Harper Collins into warlike scripts: Freedomwhich landed at Fox 2000 and Wyck Godfrey, and Anatomy of an Outsider for Paramount with the late Allison Shearmur. His series pitch March to madness starring Don Cheadle was purchased in the space by FX’s John Landgraf.
Silverman also wrote and directed the romantic drama Nailedstarring Rachel Blanchard and Harvey Keitel and wrote the drama By words with Marcia Gay Harden and Jenna Ortega. Before his time in show business, he was an award-winning police reporter for the Associated Press and wrote for newspapers such as The Washington Post.
A UFC light heavyweight champion with a career record of 38-14, defeating the likes of Chuck “The Iceman” Liddel, Jackson starred in Joe Carnahan’s version alongside Neeson, Cooper and Sharlto Copley The A Team Released in 2010, it takes on the role of BA Baracus, previously played by Mr. T. He has also previously appeared in films such as The Midnight Meat Train, Boss level And Fire with fireamong many others.
Jackson is represented by Penzi Management and attorney Robert Galarza; Silverman by original artists.