Dwayne Johnson Attached in Action Thriller CiudadPosted by Wilson Morales
March 5, 2012
MGM has closed a deal with Dwayne Johnson to star in Brett Ratner‘s “Hercules,” which will start production this October in New Zealand.
Studio confirmed Johnson’s casting nearly two weeks after Variety first reported that the former WWE star was in talks for the coveted action role.
Scribe Ryan Condal adapted Steve Moore‘s graphic novel “Hercules: The Thracian War,” which debuted in May 2008 via Radical Publishing.
MGM’s Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber and Jonathan Glickman will produce with Peter Berg and his Film 44 partner Sarah Aubrey, as well as Barry Levine of Radical Pictures, whose Jesse Berger will exec produce.
Johnson is attached to star in Joe and Anthony Russo’s intense action thriller Ciudad. The pic is being produced by Eric Gitter and Peter Schwerin of Closed on Mondays Entertainment (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), as well as Randal Emmett & George Furla (Broken City). Emmett/Furla Films will finance the movie. Envision Entertainment’s Stepan Martirosyan and Remington Chase, who maintain a film fund with Emmett/Furla Films, will executive produce. Joe Russo adapted the screenplay and he and Anthony will co-direct.
Ciudad, based on the upcoming Oni Press graphic novel of the same name which was co-written by the Russos and Ande Parks, is set in one of the most dangerous and corrupt cities in the world. Johnson plays a black market mercenary who’s hired by a Brazilian drug lord to rescue his kidnapped daughter.
The project marks a return to powerful, hard-hitting action roles for Johnson, who currently stars in New Line’s Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and in Paramount’s upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The project also marks the second upcoming collaboration for Johnson with Emmett/Furla Films as Johnson is attached to star in EFF’s crime thriller “Empire State.”
For the Russos, who have been busy in television the last few years (Community, Happy Endings, and Emmy winner Arrested Development), Ciudad marks their first film project since ’06. It also marks a significant departure from their previous comedy fare.
“Exploring genre has always been a driving motivation for us as filmmakers. This movie is the culmination of a long time ambition to bring our sensibilities to an action thriller,” said the Russos.
Closed on Mondays Entertainment’s Joe Nozemack will executive produce while the company’s Steven V. Scavelli and Lisa Gitter will co-produce. David Guillod of Intellectual Artists Management will also executive produce.
This is the second project for Emmet/Furla and Johnson. The duo are also producing “Empire State”, starring Johnson and Emile Hirsch.
