Quibi is developing a new comedy series that boasts Dwayne Johnson among its executive producers.
Titled “Last Resort,” the series centers on a Polynesian family-run resort in Hawaii that’s suddenly thrown into a whirlwind when a tech billionaire puts in a bid to buy the land. Johnson and Dany Garcia will executive produce via Seven Bucks Productions along with Paul Feig and Laura Fischer under their Powderkeg banner. Sameer Gardezi will serve as producer for Powderkeg’s Break the Room along with Hiram Garcia, Kevin Hill, and Brian Gewirtz for Seven Bucks. Hannah Kitziger will oversee the project for Quibi
Break the Room, which was launched by Powderkeg to create writers rooms composed of underrepresented voices and is headed by Gardezi, is currently building a room for the series comprised of Hawaiian and Polynesian writers.
News of the series comes as Johnson, who is half Samoan, is developing a film based on the life of King Kamehameha titled “The King” for Warner Bros in which he will star. He previously voiced the Polynesian demigod Maui in the Disney animated film “Moana.”
Johnson has also become a vocal opponent of plans to build a massive astronomical observatory at the summit of Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in Hawaii and a sacred place for native Hawaiians and many Polynesian cultures. He has also recently been praising the inclusion of a storyline in his most recent film, “Hobbs & Shaw,” that featured his character returning to his childhood home in Samoa and reuniting with his brothers, all of whom were played by actors of Polynesian descent.
Seven Bucks produced “Hobbs & Shaw,” as well as many of Johnson’s other theatrical releases like “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Rampage.” The company also produces his HBO series “Ballers” and shows like “The Titan Games,” “Finding Justice,” and “Rock the Troops.”
Feig and Fischer launched Powderkeg in 2018 as a digital studio committed to championing the voices of women and the LGBTQ community in comedy. The company’s first series, “East of La Brea” created by Sameer Gardezi, premiered in competition at SXSW. Their inaugural female directors program, Powderkeg: Fuse, launched this past spring. Powderkeg also has projects in the works at YouTube Premium, Snapchat, and Freeform among other platforms. It is funded by Superbrand LLC.
Quibi is a mobile-only video platform set to launch in April. Other recently announced projects include a Kevin Hart action series, a reboot of “Varsity Blues,” and various other projects from A-listers like Guillermo del Toro, Antoine Fuqua, and Sam Raimi.
Source: Variety
