Dwayne Johnson is a hot commodity in every conceivable way possible. He bolstered the very profitable Fast & Furious franchise in Fast Five, and took the place of Brendan Fraser in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which has currently amassed more than $270 million worldwide. This summer, he’ll be seen in another pre-existing franchise in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Rumored to play Sinbad in Arabian Knights, Johnson is also in talks to play Hercules for MGM. Plus he will be part of the sixth Fast & Furious installment and work with Michael Bay and Mark Wahlberg in Pain and Gain.
Now it looks like he’s ready to make his own Man on Fire thriller with Ciudad. To be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, the film is based on the upcoming Oni Press graphic novel that the Russo Brothers co-wrote with Ande Parks. The story is set in one of the most dangerous and corrupt cities in the world, and Johnson plays a black market mercenary hired by a Brazilian drug lord to rescue his kidnapped daughter.
Joe and Anthony Russo have been away from films for quite some time. Their last feature was 2006’s forgettable You, Me and Dupree. Mostly, they have been concentrating with television working on series like Community and Happy Endings.
The Pulse: Johnson has shown himself to be a formidable addition to franchises, but will he be able to get a breakout hit in a lead action role for a change? He’s got the charisma and the eyebrow, but he’s failed to bring in viewers with films like The Rundown and Faster. Maybe this will do the trick.
