Just your typical, everyday story about an alt-weekly series that turned into a $25 million motion picture starring Mark Wahlberg, Ed Harris, and Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson.

Wait, what?

Miami New Times editor Chuck Strouse explains:

Pain and Gain is based on a three-part Miami New Times series penned by onetime staff writer Pete Collins and published during Christmas 1999. It’s an astounding tale of kidnapping, murder, drugs, and comical ineptitude that [director Michael] Bay — who owns a home here and is perhaps the most successful action film director ever — fell in love with years ago. He blackmailed the studio to make it.

“Michael worked out a deal with Paramount that he would do this before he did another Transformers film,” says Ian Bryce, one of Pain and Gain‘s two producers. “It’s different in terms of story and pace than anything he’s done before, but he has been attached to it for years.”

The movie is scheduled to be released in 2013.