IT’S “The Apprentice” with muscles. Like NBC’s reality-TV smash, the network’s summer reality series “Next Action Star” offers a prize that could lead to a lucrative career for one lucky young man and young woman.
The two winners who emerge from the 10-episode “Next Action Star” will star in a new made-for-TV action movie set to premiere on NBC Aug. 11, a week after the “Next Action Star” finale.
And the movie – which has already been made and titled either “Hit Me” or “Dark Attack,” depending on the source – was overseen by one of Hollywood’s kings of the action genre, Joel Silver, producer of the “Matrix” and “Lethal Weapon” movies.
Silver is one of the executive producers of “Next Action Star,” along with reality-TV veteran Gary Benz. His GRB Entertainment produced “The Surreal Life” as well as a host of specials on filmmaking, including “Hollywood’s Greatest Stunts.”
Benz came up with the “Next Action Star” idea; Silver brought the show to life.
“We worked with Joel’s company and spent almost a year developing it together,” Benz says.
Benz emphasized that “Next Action Star” is looking for stars, not stuntmen.
“These people will have their own stunt-men,” Benz says. “We’re looking for men and women who have that charisma and acting ability to deliver a performance, and the physicality to make it believable when they are in extreme situations.”
To prepare the show’s 14 eager novices for the rigors of action-film work, the producers called on Hollywood acting coach Howard Fine, whose intensive sessions with the contestants will be featured in every episode of “Next Action Star.”
“As part of their general acting training, one of the things the actors have to learn is how to contact emotions when they want them,” says Fine, whose long roster of celebrity students includes Brad Pitt, Michael Chiklis, Salma Hayek, “The Rock” (Dwayne Johnson) and dozens of others.
“No matter how much action there is, it’s still going to be the acting of the scenes that makes them believable or not,” Fine says.
To find their 14 finalists, the producers of “Next Action Star” held tryouts in seven cities – portions of which will be seen in Monday’s “Casting Special.” Of the thousands who auditioned, 30 got the green light to go to Hollywood. The 30 will be winnowed down to 14 at the end of episode three next week.
After that, the final 14 will live together in a huge Hollywood mansion and compete each week in a “screen test,” which will test their abilities in a variety of scenes – from rescue missions to love-making sessions.
At the end of each show, their screen tests will be evaluated by a panel of three judges – the director, producer and casting director of the action movie in which the winners will eventually star.
The panel will then eliminate two of them.
Of course, the intensity of the competition inevitably leads to some friction.
Benz insisted the show was not cast with conflict in mind, but he wasn’t surprised that tempers flared.
“I just knew from the get-go that these 14 people were going to be Type A personalities and they’re going to be in a very competitive environment,” Benz says. “And when you put them all together, then sparks are going to fly.”
‘NEXT ACTION STAR’ CASTING SPECIAL
Monday, 10 p.m., NBC
‘NEXT ACTION STAR’ PREMIERE
Tuesday, 8 p.m., NBC