Another Dwayne Johnson Sci-Fi Action Comedy Is Happening, Get The Details

Dwayne Johnson isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The action star just nabbed another starring role in an upcoming film acquired by DreamWorks. And it sounds pretty darn epic.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is now attached to a new sci-fi action comedy acquired by DreamWorks called Alpha Squad Seven. Both DreamWorks and Paramount were in the bidding war for the film before DreamWorks edged out the competition for win. Johnson will also serve as co-producer with his 7 Bucks Productions company along with Beau Flynn’s FlynnPictureCo., whom he collaborated with for Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,Hercules and San Andreas.

Alpha Squad Seven is a four-quadrant action comedy adventure set in space, similar to Guardians of the Galaxy. Seasoned comedy writers Jeremiah Friedman and Nick Palmer wrote the pitch for the film, which was just fast-tracked for development. No word yet on who else will star in Alpha Squad Seven, but one thing for sure, with Johnson attached it is likely to be a top-notch action film. As we all know, this won’t be Dwayne Johnson’s first jaunt into the sci-fi action genre, however, it will his second sci-fi action comedy movie.

Over the course of 10 years, Dwayne Johnson has starred in three sci-fi action films, and none of them were comedic roles. Doom, his first notable sci-fi action film, centered on a group of Marines on a research facility on Mars who end up battling genetically engineered monsters attack the facility. Doom was loosely based on a video game series of the same name. Race to Witch Mountain, his second sci-fi action film, was also a thriller. Race to Witch Mountain, which was based on the 1968 novel Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key, centered on a Los Vegas taxi driver who meets to extraterrestrial youths whom he must help reach their spaceship, which is buried in Witch Mountain. Not quite a comedy, but undoubtedly possessing some comedic moments.

Johnson’s most recent sci-fi action movie, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was technically his first sci-fi action comedy film. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which was his first collaboration with producer Beau Flynn, followed a teenager and his stepfather as they set out on a quest to the South Pacific to an island where they rescue its sole human inhabitant. Like the first Journey film, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was also based on a Jules Verne novel, The Mysterious Island.

Johnson fans can expect big things from the action star and his upcoming film Alpha Squad Seven as it is meant to be a two-hander in addition to launching a franchise.

Credit: cinemablend.com

New San Andreas Trailer Sensitively Focuses on Rescue and Relief Efforts

Following the devastating tragedy in Nepal last weekend, when an earthquake caused the deaths of more than 7,000 people and left tens of thousands injured and/or homeless, Warner Bros. considered their release and marketing of the disaster movie San Andreas. The studio has decided to keep the release date of May 29th, but they are retooling their ads to be more sensitive to the reality of similar geological devastation. One thing, as you’ll see at the end of the latest trailer above, is a statement and link to a site on earthquake preparedness and help.

This third spot also seems to focus on rescue efforts performed by the lead character played by Dwayne Johnson. Mostly we see him and his trusty helicopter lift his estranged wife (Carla Gugino) out of harms way and later his attempt to save his daughter (Alexandra Daddario) from drowning. In between, there is a lot of the destruction that will still appeal to many moviegoers in spite of Nepal. There’s not much mention of the disaster by name, and the event is described by Paul Giamatti‘s scientist as a global, as if this is actually an end of the world movie.

The last section of the trailer also concentrates on a tsunami sequence, which I guess Warner Bros. can rest easy knowing won’t remind us of the landlocked Nepal. Of course, that wouldn’t take away from the fact that there’s already been buildings and dams collapsing on screen, just as they did in real life last weekend. But as that statement at the end of the trailer almost apologetically reminds us, “disaster can strike at any moment,” and it’s not the fault of the makers of San Andreas that one happened to hit so close to the opening of their movie.

Once again, San Andreas hits theaters at the end of this month.

Credit: filmschoolrejects.com

Summer movie preview: Dwayne Johnson isn’t hard as a rock in ‘San Andreas’

Carla Gugino as Emma and Dwayne Johnson as Ray in the action thriller “San Andreas.” Photo by Jasin Boland – Warner Bros.

By Bob Strauss, Los Angeles Daily News

POSTED: 04/27/15, 10:59 AM PDT|

3 COMMENTS

Much of the Golden State may come crashing down in the new disaster movie “San Andreas.” But like many things for star Dwayne Johnson these days, it’s all about family.

“The movie is about the largest earthquake ever recorded hitting California, and the effects of that,” explains the professional wrestler, known as The Rock, turned “Fast and Furious” movie star.

“I’m an LAFD rescue pilot, and me and my estranged wife (Carla Gugino) set out for San Francisco — which is hit by an epic tsunami — to find our daughter (Alexandra Daddario).

“There’s the epic nature of what you see in the trailer, but there’s also a real strong story about family,” Johnson continues. “I like having those elements because the visual effects are going to be there, the magnitude of the scope and scale will be there, and I think if we can ground it and root it in something we can all relate to, which is family, that’ll be great.”

Johnson promises mostly practically-shot depictions of mass destruction in the first temblor epic since 1974’s now hokey-looking “Earthquake.” Even The Rock almost panicked — emphasis on the “almost” — several times when he couldn’t find his air pocket at the top of a massive Australian water tank inside of which he filmed submerged San Francisco shots.

But as much as the veteran of “G.I. Joe” and “Hercules” movies was stoked to try his massive hand at the disaster genre, he says being a divorced dad himself was what really drew him to “San Andreas.”

Of course, family is the catchphrase associated with the “Fast and Furious” franchise, which has been supercharged at the box office since Johnson came on as an over-the-top federal agent in the fifth installment. “Furious 7” has been bigger, um, faster than any previous chapter, dominating ticket sales worldwide all month. That’s despite — or maybe partially because of — a death in that filmic family, Paul Walker.

“Losing our brother Paul took the movie to a really different place that we never expected,” Johnson says with a slight choke in his voice. “I think it’s a very big reason why people are flocking to see the movie too. It’s their opportunity to see Paul’s last performance and, also, to say goodbye to him.”

Credit: dailynews.com

Dwayne Johnson to return in “Fast & Furious 8”

Freedom grad Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be back for “Fast & Furious 8,” as the seventh installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise breaks records.
On Friday the film which stars Johnson, along with Vin Diesel and the late Paul Walker, became the fastest movie to gross $1 billion worldwide in just 17 days. Having earned $1.153 billion, it is now the seventh highest-grossing film of all time.

Johnson told MTV News that “Fast & Furious 8” might be set in New York City.
Johnson also signed with Disney to voice the demi-god Maui for the studios next animated musical “Moana.”

In the film, a young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island and is joined by her hero, Maui.

On Facebook, Johnson confirmed he will be singing in the film “Manly and off key of course” he said.

“Moana” is set for a Nov. 26, 2016 release.

Next up on the big screen for Johnson is the 3-D disaster flick “San Andreas” which is coming out May 29 and in which Johnson plays a helicopter pilot who makes a dangerous journey across the state in order to rescue his estranged daughter in the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California.

Johnson, who attended Freedom High School in 11th and 12th grades, was the box office champion at the movies in 2013, according to Forbes magazine, which said his movies generated $1.3 billion in ticket sales.

Credit: mcall.com

Trailer released for Dwayne Johnson’s “Ballers”

  

The first glimpse of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson‘s new HBO series, “Ballers” slated to premiere on HBO June 21 at 10 p.m. can be seen in the new trailer relased Friday.

In it the Freedom High School grad plays Spencer Strassmore, a retired former football player who now works as a financial manager for current players.

Trailer for Dwayne Johnson’s “Ballers”

“Sunday nights become legendary,” Johnson said on his Facebook page, quoting the tagline from the series “Legends don’t retire. They reinvent.”

The half-hour show about current and retired football players living in Miami stars Johnson, an actor, professional wrestler and former Miami Hurricanes football player. The show is produced by Johnson and Mark Wahlberg, who starred with “The Rock” in the film “Pain & Gain.”
Other characters in “Ballers” include a spiritual pro athlete, financial adviser, sports agent, ESPN sideline reporter and ex-wife of a pro football player. Other cast members include Omar Benson Miller, John David Washington, Rob Corddry, Troy Garity, Donovan Carter, Jazmyn Simon, Taylor Cole and LeToya Luckett.

This will be Johnson’s first time starring in a fictional TV series. But it’s not his foray into episodic television. Johnson, who attended Bethlehem’s Freedom High School in 11th and 12th grades, last produced and starred in 2 reality series for TNT – last year’s “Wake Up Call” and 2013’s reality competition series “The Hero.

He also starred in the recently released blockbuster “Fast & Furious 7” and will star in the in the earthquake film “San Andreas” coming out May 29.

Credit: mcall.com

Dwayne Johnson attempts a helicopter rescue in new San Andreas clip

 Posted April 10 2015 — 10:25 AM EDT

If there’s anything that can bring two ex-spouses together, it’s a life-or-death situation. And to say that San Andreas is about a life-or-death situation is an understatement.

In the film, Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino play the exes, who are brought together by the search to find their daughter after an enormous earthquake hits the west coast. MTV has a new clip from the film, which shows Ray (Johnson) attempting a helicopter rescue of his ex-wife when things take a turn for the worse. Let’s just say it’s hard to rescue someone when the entire world around them is collapsing.

San Andreas hits theaters May 29, 2015

Credit: ew.com

Dwayne Johnson rides out a radical quake in thundering new San Andreas trailer

Jeff Spry

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 – 5:59pm

11

You’re gonna need a bigger monitor to contain all the crumbling chaos in this extended trailer for New Line’s San Andreas.  See skyscrapers split asunder, the earth erupt and the Golden Gate Bridge get swamped in this epic return to the glory years of impossibly awesome disaster flicks.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as a macho search-and-rescue pilot performing brave deeds as a killer mega-earthquake rocks the West Coast.  But latch onto your lattes, because this tremor is nothing compared to the even larger quake to come!   Yes, there are an estranged wife and a daughter in peril involved, and we’re sure to see some heartwarming pet rescue amid the mounting mayhem, but come on, you know we all simply want to gorge ourselves with cinematic destruction on a biblical level, and this film just might deliver that primal promise in glorious 3D.  Hold on tight and have a peek:

Directed by Brad Peyton and written by Lost’s Carlton Cuse, San Andreas opens May 29, 2015.

blaster.com

Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Wake-Up Call’ to debut Friday

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will begin giving people 4 a.m. wake-up call on his new TNT reality series that kicks off at 9 p.m. Friday.

The “transformational” reality series “Wake Up Call” is executive-produced and stars Johnson, who graduated from Bethlehem’s Freedom High School.

In the trailer for the series in which the Rock helps everyday people who are facing enormous challenges, Johnson says he had his own wake-up call.

“In 1995, I had one goal – to become a pro footbal player,” he says. “Then I got cut. I had seven bucks in my pocket and no future. I rebuilt myself and started over.”

TNT has ordered eight one-hour episodes of “Wake Up Call.”

Johnson produced and starred in another TNT reality series, “The Hero,” which aired in 2013. It garnered respectable ratings – with 1.5 million viewers.

In the new series, Johnson will mentor people dealing with challenges ranging from dysfunctional households, dead-beat dads, struggling sports teams and failing businesses, reminding them what hard work, passion and true discipline can accomplish.

Johnson, 41, who attended Freedom in 11th and 12th grade, has a Facebook page for the show, on which he promises to “kick more people’s lives into high gear.”

He says the series will be “cool, positive programming,” adding, “Tough times don’t last … tough families do. We bring empowerment and change to people’s front doors.”

Johnson is also a major movie star. He was the box office champion in 2013, according to Forbes magazine, which said his movies generated $1.3 billion in ticket sales. He starred in the blockbuster “Fast & Furious 6,” which grossed $789 million at the global box office, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” which grossed $375 million worldwide, and two other films.

Next he is starring the earthquake film “San Andreas,” and “Furious 7,” both coming out in 2015.

mcall.com

Dwayne Johnson stars in first photos from ‘San Andreas’

“The most incredible thing I found out doing the research was just how overdue for a massive earthquake we are,” the actor said. By Annie Martin  |   Dec. 8, 2014 at 12:05 PM

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Carla Gugino in ‘San Andreas.’ Warner Bros.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8 (UPI) — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars in the first photos from San Andreas.The 42-year-old actor portrays a helicopter rescue pilot living in Los Angeles when a massive earthquake hits California. The character and his ex-wife (Carla Gugino) leave the city and attempt to find their daughter (Alexandra Daddario) in San Francisco.”The most incredible thing I found out doing the research was just how overdue for a massive earthquake we are,” Johnson told USA Today. “Like 100 years overdue. It’s incredible, and scary as hell. It sounds like a movie line, but it’s a matter of when, not if.”San Andreas is directed by Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012) helmer Brad Peyton. The film intends “to show what the largest earthquake ever recorded would look like, all in a highly populated area,” based on science provided by Southern California Earthquake Center director Tom Jordan.

Johnson last appeared as the title character in Brett Ratner film Hercules. The actor is scheduled for a number of other projects, including Fast & Furious sequel Furious 7, Central Intelligence with Kevin Hart and DC Comics movie Shazam!.

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Universal Eyes Dwayne Johnson for ‘Bourne’ Creator’s ‘The Janson Directive’

Universal Pictures is in early talks with Dwayne Johnson to star in their adaptation ofRobert Ludlum‘s novel The Janson Directive. The studio is currently seeking writers for the project, and if a deal is made with Dwayne Johnson, he will also produce.

The project has been in development at Universal since October 2011, when John Hlavin(Underworld Awakening, Risk) signed on to write the script, but that was the last we heard about The Janson Directive.

The story centers on Paul Janson, a former Navy SEAL and spy for the government agency Consular Operations, who leaves the agency after a number of sanctioned serial killings. He becomes a private security consultant, teaming up with a sharpshooter, striving to help only those who are in need, although he must uncover a vast conspiracy when he is targeted for assassination. No production schedule was given.

Sources claim that Universal views this as a Jason Bourne-esque franchise. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since author Robert Ludlum created the Bourne character in his books The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, which were adapted into a hit movie trilogy starring Matt Damon.

Dwayne Johnson is busier than ever, currently shooting the 3D disaster movie San Andreas, after recently wrapping production on Fast & Furious 7. The actor will next be seen in Hercules, arriving in theaters July 25, and he is also prepping to return as Roadblock in G.I. Joe 3, which will be an expanded role.

The Janson Directive is in development and stars Dwayne Johnson.

 

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