According to People Magazine , Dwayne Johnson is about to become the subject of a brand new sitcom on NBC. Titled Young Rock , the comedy series will chronicle the childhood of the former WWE superstar, and 11 episodes have already been ordered.
The single-camera series — which is the second collaboration between Johnson and the network following The Titan Games — is being written by Fresh Off the Boat co-scribes Nahnatchka Khan and Jeff Chiang.
Khan, Johnson, Chiang, as well as Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Brian Gewirtz, and Jennifer Carreras will executive produce the series, in collaboration with Universal Television, Seven Bucks, and Fierce Baby Productions. No release date has been announced at the time of this writing.
Johnson has discussed his childhood and adolescence frequently throughout the years, so the announcement of Young Rock has been anticipated for quite some time. As noted by People , Johnson also opened up about what led to the show’s creation, and let potential viewers know what they can expect to see if they decide to tune in.
“Many of you may, or may not have heard, or read over the years that I have talked about this wild, and unpredictable, and quite frankly, unbelievable childhood that I had. My early years, my adolescence, my teenage years. The Young Rock years, I’ve told many, many stories. Again, many of them unbelievable, but all of them true. We’re going to find Young Rock, for example, wreaking havoc in the streets of Hawaii when I was a very young teenager. Getting arrested, seemingly, every single week. Doing a lot of things I shouldn’t have been doing.”
My formative years, also known as my “Forrest Gump” years were wildly unbelievable, yet incredibly all true. ????? Ladies & gents, we bring you our exciting new comedy series, “YOUNG ROCK”. @NBC @SevenBucksProd #FierceBabyProductions pic.twitter.com/1AN8AJ8BnU
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 12, 2020
Johnson also revealed that the series will feature appearances from some of his celebrity heroes, albeit in a fictional context. These include Andre the Giant, Muhammad Ali, and Ronald Reagan. Of course, given that Johnson’s father is a legendary wrestler in his own right, it’s unsurprising that the former WWE Champion had access to the stars at a young age.
Young Rock adds to Johnson’s growing list of projects, which includes the upcoming Black Adam movie for Warner Bros., and a biopic about the legendary mixed-martial artist Mark Kerr. The former WWE superstar has conquered Hollywood as both an actor and as a producer, and he’s made a name for himself on the big screen and on television.
Unfortunately for wrestling fans wanting to see the legendary performer return to the squared circle, they could be waiting a while. Last year, Johnson confirmed that he’s retired from in-ring action, but he’ll always be affiliated with WWE.
