Goodness gracious! Will Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson take a vacation at some point in the near future? Or is he indeed intent on winning the hardest working man in showbiz crown, beating out Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson and others?
It seems as if, every other week, we’re announcing a new Dwayne Johnson project, whether for TV or film; at this rate, he’ll have a new film in theaters every quarter, if he doesn’t already.
After scoring his best solo movie opening ever, with disaster movie “San Andreas” this past weekend, which grossed over $54 million, Johnson is now in talks to star in a remake of “Big Trouble in Little China,” the 1986 action film directed by John Carpenter, with Kurt Russell starring, and told the story of Jack Burton, who helps his friend, Wang Chi, rescue Wang’s fiancee from bandits in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The film was actually originally envisioned as a Western set in the 1880s, but was eventually modernized. However, it was a box office bust, receiving mixed reviews and grossing just over $11 million domestically, on an estimated $20 million budget.
It’s, however, one of those initial commercial failures that would later become a cult classic, finding it audience on home video over the years.
20th Century Fox is rebooting the property for Johnson to star in, although no word yet on whether the story will be retooled to reflect the times, and for a new audience. I assume it will, because I don’t the original, as is, will pass in 2015.
“Thor” and “X-Men: First Class” writers – Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz – have been hired to pen the script. No director attached yet.
Up next for Johnson is starring in HBO’s new dramedy series “Ballers” centered around the lives of retired athletes – specifically football players.
It debuts this month.
Less than a month ago, he added a sci-fi comedy titled “Alpha Squad Seven,” which is set up at DreamWorks, to his upcoming slate.
He also has the action-comedy “Central Intelligence” with another one of Hollywood’s hardest working men, Kevin Hart.
Of course there’s the next “Fast & Furious” movie, some superhero duties with “Shazam!” (Black Adam), and others.
Source: Shadow & Act
