Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson To Star In Bourne Creator’s Newest Film Series

Hollywood heavyweight Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s acting schedule is insane. Already starring in Jumanji, Shazam, and Baywatch, along with his standing role in the Fast and Furious franchise, The Rock has signed on as leading man in Robert Ludlum’s The Janson Directive.

Ludlum, who passed away in 2001, is the best-selling author responsible for the blockbuster Bourne Franchise, which skyrocketed Matt Damon to super-stardom. The Hollywood Reporter and Universal Pictures simultaneously revealed that The Rock will portray main-character Paul Jansen, while doubling as executive producer in the series’ debut film.

The film’s screenplay will be adapted for film by James Vanderbilt and Ben Smith. The Rock is already thrilled to be a part of this burgeoning cinematic universe. Per The Hollywood Reporter Rock is a life-long fan of Robert Ludlum’s engrossing and edgy work:

“The Janson Directive is classic Robert Ludlum,” The Rock told The Hollywood Reporter. “Sharp, edgy and layered storylines. The character is complex, conflicted, bad *ss and lethal — I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this and bring him to life. Between Jamie, Akiva, Captivate and Universal, it’s an exciting time to help produce and build out this awesome Ludlum universe.”

Universal Pictures has collaborated with Captivate in adapting several of Ludlum’s spy thrillers to the big screen. Part of The Rock’s unabashed enthusiasm for this project stems from Ludlum’s 300 million-plus books sold. Among the prolific author’s timeless classics are The Parsifal Mosaic,Covert One, and The Sigma Protocol.

The estate for the late-author’s new contract with Universal looks to bring together Ludlum’s individual titles under one entity. In addition to writing Janson, Vanderbilt, who previously collaborated with The Rock when he co-wrote Johnson’s 2003 hit The Rundown, will co-author two more yet to be named adaptations based upon Ludlum’s works.

Captivate screen-writer Ben Smith feels the team that’s been put in place to bring Robert Ludlum’s universe to life is an optimal group:

“James (Vanderbilt) has a deep understanding of the unique themes that run through Robert Ludlum’s novels, many of which are more relevant to today’s world than when they were published. [Universal’s] Donna Langley, Jimmy Horowitz, Peter Cramer and we at Captivate have discussed building a connective world with Ludlum’s works and found an ideal creative partner in James to craft this visceral, grounded, cinematic universe. The Rock is the perfect actor to bring Paul Janson to the screen, and we are thrilled to have him as a cornerstone of this exciting franchise.”

Coming into this exciting role, The Rock has long been one of Hollywood’s hottest action stars. With some thirty film credits already on his impressive resume, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson started his career in show-business with then World Wrestling Federation in 1996.

Since that time, The Rock has thrilled, captivated, and entertained billions worldwide. The Rock’s father, grandfather, and countless cousins all competed as professional wrestlers under the famed Anoa’i family tree.

Before taking the sports-entertainment world by storm, The Rock was a standout football player at the University of Miami, winning the 1991 National Championship. It is possible that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson could come to epitomize success in whatever field he chooses to endeavor.

Fans of Robert Ludlum’s works might be in for a big treat.

[Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for MTV]