Fighting with My Family is a heartwarming comedy based on the incredible true story of WWE Superstar Paige. Born into a tight-knit British wrestling family, Paige and her brother Zak are ecstatic when they get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try out for WWE. But when only Paige earns a spot in the competitive training program, she must leave her family and face this new, cutthroat world alone. Paige’s journey pushes her to dig deep, fight for her family, and ultimately prove to the world that what makes her different is the very thing that can make her a star.
A stirring, funny and authentic underdog story, Fighting with My Family brings together the unique talents of producer/actor Dwayne Johnson and director/writer/producer Stephen Merchant, who celebrate a young woman’s talent, drive and tenacity as she defies the odds to climb to the top of her profession. Interweaving a true-life drama with comedy and heart, the filmmakers explore the triumph of an indefatigable spirit who finds unlimited joy in what she does. The story behind Fighting with My Family begins with a documentary – and an international motion picture megastar’s restless night. In 2012, Dwayne Johnson was filming Fast and Furious 6 in London. Unable to fall asleep, Johnson turned on the television and began watching a non-fiction film produced by the U.K.’s Channel 4. Entitled The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family, the film followed a young woman, Saraya Bevis, who fought under the name “Paige,” and her outrageous, wrestling-obsessed family. Johnson, who founded and runs Seven Bucks Productions, a successful production company committed to making a diverse array of films and television shows, immediately recognized the potential in the documentary. “It had something special that resonated with me, and I thought it could be turned into a really compelling movie.”
Johnson’s connection to the film wasn’t surprising: like Paige, Johnson hails from a family of prominent wrestlers, including his father, grandfather and uncles, and his mother was the sport’s first female promoter. He saw elements of his own family’s dynamics – both the hardships and triumphs – in the Bevis clan.