WWE News: Dwayne Johnson And Will Ferrell Developing Pro Wrestling Sitcom Based On The Rock’s WWE Career

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s wrestling career is the stuff of legend for WWE fans. The Rock is arguably the biggest and most successful wrestler in the history of the business. He spent roughly seven years as a full-time wrestler and starting out making $40 per match, to selling out the biggest arenas in the world and main eventing WrestleMania along with Stone Cold Steve Austin at the peak of the industry.

Ninety-nine percent of WWE Superstars would have reached their apex, but Dwayne Johnson was one in a billion. The Rock’s wrestling career became a huge launching pad for him to spend another seven years climbing the Hollywood ladder to become one of the most successful movie stars in the world. As a person, he has a great autobiographical story to tell, which is exactly what he’s going to do alongside Will Ferrell.

It was recently reported that Fox had ordered a pilot from The Rock’s Seven Bucks Productions company, which is a reference to the $7 he had in his pocket when he first started wrestling, to develop a new sitcom based on his backstage experiences during his time with WWE and the wrestling industry.

The Rock will be joined by the former head writer for WWE, Brian Gewirtz, who left the company to work with Johnson. Also joining the two men will be Will Ferrell’s Gary Sanchez Productions that will be co-producing the show. Nothing is confirmed, but it’s likely Ferrell and Johnson will be featured for on-screen roles at some point during the pilot and beyond if it’s picked up to series by Fox.

The show and pilot have yet to be named, but the idea for the show is being described as “a behind-the-scenes look at a fictional professional wrestling outfit and chronicles the one-of-a-kind odd couple relationship that develops between a charismatic young character, like The Rock, and a painfully awkward comedy writer to the world of wrestling.” Johnson elaborated the following about bringing his stories to life on-screen.

“This November will mark the 20th anniversary of my professional wrestling debut. I was 24 years old, putting in the hard work, making $40 bucks per match and had no clue of the long journey that lay ahead of me with characters and backstage stories so colorful you’d think there’s no way that can be true. The entertaining show that goes on in front of the crowd pales in comparison to the insanely entertaining show that goes on backstage. Brian and myself can’t wait to tell our stories.”

As eccentric, colorful, and ridiculous as the show of professional wrestling can sometimes be, the real entertainment of the wrestling industry is behind the scenes where the show is put together, and the real life personas of the colorful cast of characters are exposed on the road traveling from city to city. There is a lot of material for The Rock and Gewirtz to bring to the screen. The latter had the following to say about writing the series with Johnson.

“Coming from Hollywood to the wrestling industry, with its intense backstage atmosphere and larger than life personalities, was a major culture shock. After working in the business for over 15 years, Dwayne and I had encounters and experiences that were unbelievable as well as unforgettable. We can’t wait to bring this project to the fans.”

The pilot of the show will no doubt be a huge hit for wrestling fans, but the crossover appeal of The Rock could make this a monster hit for Fox. Netflix is currently developing a show called G.L.O.W about the fictional behind the scenes shenanigans of an all-female wrestling promotion, so the competition is on for both shows.

[Featured Image by Evan Agostini/AP Images]