The Rock — otherwise known as Dwayne Johnson — has earned his stripes in the action world. When it comes to big-budget, over-the-top, exploding cars, and guns blazing movies, Johnson is the go-to guy and for good reason. He’s got the acting chops, he’s got the comedic timing, and he’s got the box-office pull. That’s why, when it came time for studios to consider the lead for a big-screen version of the classic arcade game Rampage , Johnson was more than likely first on the list.
The game centered on a giant gorilla, a giant lizard creature, and a giant wolfman terrorizing different cities while trying to survive an attack by military forces. Since the game was about destroying cities to rubble, it’s interesting to try and imagine what The Rock’s role will be: Military leader trying to stop the oversize monsters? Family man attempting to protect his kids (and town) from the onslaught of destruction? There aren’t too many details just yet, and filming isn’t slated to begin until next year, with a possible 2017 release.
Johnson just came off an amazingly successful film with San Andreas — which opened to $53 million at the box office — and has his schedule pretty much planned out until 2019, with eight more projects coming our way that include Rampage and a reboot of Big Trouble In Little China . But his current project — an HBO series called Ballers — isn’t feeling much love from critics. Based on the pilot, Business Insider’s Matt Johnston says he doesn’t have much hope for the rest of the series.
“Let’s get to the heart of the matter. “Ballers” was not that fun to watch and gave me very little reason to come back for episode two. I get that it’s a pilot, and the show can evolve, but I don’t have a lot of hope… This is not Dwayne Johnson’s wheelhouse. For a 30-minute HBO show it’s oddly serious and not really funny at all. Johnson is playing a character who is a bit lost after the NFL, but very type-A and working hard to get this new career off the ground, while helping his friends,” Johnston writes .
Regardless of what the critics say, Johnson has proven time and time again that he can draw viewers, and his career continues to take off as he tackles the juicy, action-riddled roles not a lot of other actors can pull off. The Rock is here to stay.
[Photo courtesy Ellen/YouTube]
