Netflix has gained the rights to John Henry and the Statesman, an original pitch from the writer Tom Wheeler, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is signed on to star.
Netflix recently won the rights in a large bidding war among many of the major studios.
The director of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jake Kasdan, is signed on to head the films production.
Dwayne Johnson made a post on his Instagram teasing the project and his excitement for it. Its caption contains some remarks about the story and its production.
Johnson went on to talk a bit about the project, stating..
“Netflix is the perfect partner and platform to bring these global folklore icons to life.”
“These diverse characters speak to a legacy of storytelling that is more relevant than ever and span across a worldwide audience regardless of age, gender race, or geography.”
Dwayne continues to say..
“Directing this big ol’ tentpole is the talented and passionate, Jake Kasdan. Jake and I found nice success together on a little movie called Jumanji. Gonna be a lot of fun bringing these legends to life.”
The head of film at Netflix, Scott Stuber, took the time to comment on the project eluding to the point that Dwayne is unarguably a global superstar, and that him and Jake are proven to work well together after entertaining massive audiences around the globe. An example of the pairs success is obviously Jumanji, which received a gross profit $962 million dollars worldwide.
We’re really excited to see such a great story getting it’s time on the big screen, especially with stars like Dwayne Johnson at the forefront, and Dwayne is definitely excited to bring his ‘childhood hero’ to life.
What’re your thoughts on the project? Let us know in the comments section!
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