Here’s a question: IsDwayne Johnsona cyborg? Does he just hook himself up to an energy source at night and charge just until he is at full battery power so he can work out, eat (mostly cod), and act? This is honestly the best guess I have as to how the man who was “The Rock” gets so much done. The guy has a full plate as is, preparing for his role inFast 8and the seconds season ofBallers, and currently doing press forCentral Intelligence, his buddy-comedy withKevin Hart, directed byRawson Thurber Marshall. And this isn’t even counting the rumors of him taking on the title roles inShazam!andDoc Savage, and the handful of other projects that his IMDB page has lined up, as well as a possibleHobbs spinoff moviedown the road.
Adding onto this pile of work is a brand new action venture with hisCentral Intelligencedirector, which has been described asDie Hardin China by sources close to the project. AsDeadline reports, the film will find the former wrestler finding unexpected, ludicrous odds while stuck in China, which is enough to get execs panting for more. Indeed, as one would expect with such a proposition, the major distributors have been throwing out seven-figure bids like crazy to get the rights to this puppy, including Sony, Universal and Lionsgate, and Paramount.
As I said when covering the latest news about a possible Hobbs spinoff, there are few performers that get me excited about this kind of nonsense the way that Johnson does. The man not only has charisma to spare and an excellent sense of comic timing, but also has the immense physical prowess to sell the idea of an unstoppable action hero. And unlike Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis, Johnson gives a clear sense that he understands the sheer entertainment value of most of his films, never getting too self-serious about what is, ultimately, a proverbial fireworks display. Regardless, whoever gets the chance to make this film would do well to follow his instincts, and make a film that’s fun rather than flippantly political, though the setting almost guarantees a dose of unneeded, half-thought-out commentary.
