Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire, with its precise 50/50 mix of making you wish you were Gina Carano and wish they’d sprung for an actual actress, was not what you’d call a blockbuster. As of this month it’s still sitting about six million dollars under budget, and sure, that’s like 17-million higher than Soderbergh’s usual “doll factory in a decaying town” efforts, but it’s not enough to turn the film into a franchise, collection of action figures or 4-D amusement park thrillride where action simulators pretend to be Gina’s thighs and crush your neck.

But don’t get discouraged! Your dreams of seeing Gina Carano naked in a movie one day become a big name movie star aren’t completely dead — she’s reportedly signed on for her second lead action effort, In the Blood. That’s my favorite Truman Capote book!

Carano will play the wife of a man who disappears while the couple is vacationing in the Caribbean. Carano’s character recklessly pursues the people she believes are the kidnappers.

“This role will showcase not only Gina’s fighting skills, but also her acting abilities as her character struggles to reign in her violent past,” director John Stockwell says.

So basically making a WWE Films film where Gina Carano plays John Cena playing whoever and the gender roles are switched. At this point I think the more compelling film is about someone who ISN’T struggling to reign in a violent past. Unless Gina’s planning to go full on swinging-dick Viggo Mortensen here I don’t see it working.

Of course, setting the movie in the Caribbean guarantees us that one bikini shot of her drinking white win and smiling before the sh*t goes down. Good job, John Stockwell.

[h/t Larry Brown Sports]

“The only time I got hurt was when I punched Gina Carano in the head by accident.”

I want that written on my tombstone.

That’s what Ewan McGregor told an extremely excited to be there correspondent of the E! Network at the Golden Globes. Between this and trying to pop Jim Norton’s eyeballs out of his head it looks Gina’s doing more damage as a leading lady than she ever did cagefighting and whomping people in the neck with pugil sticks on ‘American Gladiators’.

The story, which either confirms that Gina Carano’s skull is too foxy for human hands or Obi-Wan Kenobi can’t throw a punch:

“I had a series of three punches, but the third one…for one reason or another I connected really hard on the side of her head,” McGregor said. “She was the one who got straight up and said, ‘Are you OK?’ She was asking me if I was OK! But she was right because I almost broke my friggin’ hand!”

Carano took the hit like a champ. McGregor laughed, “She was absolutely fine.”

I guess she’s really taking that killing people in her underwear thing seriously. She should’ve connected really hard on the side of his head for making Down With Love.

Comedian Jim Norton has a history of letting visiting MMA stars incapacitate him for the enjoyment of the Opie & Anthony radio audience, and while clips of him getting heel hooked by Brock Lesnar or being guillotine choked by Cain Velasquez are funny, they’re missing the important “i want to worship her anus” comments that make an Internet video successful. Enter: this clip of Haywire leading lady and sorta-kinda-still-MMA-star Gina Carano choking out Jimmy on Tuesday’s show.

If you need to know why this is basically the best thing that can happen to a man, here’s what she says before she does it:

“I’m just gonna squeeze your throat real quick. I love that I have heels on. It makes it so much easier.”

Amazing.

They should bring on Cris Cyborg next and see if Jimmy gurgles and taps out when she jams a needle into his ass cheek.

[h/t to Cage Potato]

I was worried about having a stressful weekend — dealing with life and obligations and getting the first episode of our podcast up by Monday — but our man Weed Against Speed has come through in the clutch, and oh boy what a clutch it is: GQ magazine’s interview with fighter, American Gladiator and upcoming Haywire film star Gina Carano is up, and with it comes a full underpants photoshoot and video. And video.

An excerpt:

“I like fighting,” she says, “because it’s honest.” In Haywire’s third act, the villain warns a henchman that it would be a mistake to think of Carano’s character as a woman. As if such a thing were possible, on-screen or off. “The guys I date always want to test my strength and wrestle around,” she says, laughing. “By the end, they’re drenched in sweat.” Poor guys. That sounds just awful.

I guess only women can beat her up! Also, I collapsed while reading this and am finishing the blog entry from the floor.

Check out the incredible photos (especially number 6 … holy mary mother’a god) and stick around for the video. It will really “knock you out” (mma reference)!

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After losing her Strikeforce title fight against Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos via first round TKO in August 2009, heavenly asskicker Gina Carano decided that she would take some time off and perhaps pursue other career ambitions. And while I spent most of 2010 staring out a window, drinking scotch and wondering when Gina would return, she has answered our prayers and is currently training for her next Strikeforce match.

So what was Gina up to for the past year that could have made her consider leaving a life of having her perfect angelic face damaged? She was acting with Channing Tatum, Antonio Banderas and Ewan McGregor in the new Steven Soderbergh film Haywire, due out later this year. Gina plays Mallory Kane, a black ops super soldier who is “betrayed and set up during a mission.” Haha, women be spyin’.

After the jump, check out a couple Haywire videos with Soderbergh and Carano, as well as exclusive insight on working with Gina from my good friend C-Tates…

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