Dwayne Johnson set for a Netflix blockbuster

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will star in Netflix movie ‘John Henry and the Statesmen’.

The 46-year-old actor will be reunited with ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ director Jake Kasdan for the film, with the streaming service landing the rights after a bidding war with many major studios.

It will mark Johnson’s first feature film on Netflix, and he said: “Netflix is the perfect partner and platform for us to continue entertaining our global audience in a disruptive way.

“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.”

The movie – an original pitch from writer Tom Wheeler – will see the former WWE superstar take on the title role and lead “an ensemble cast of the most popular figures from folklore and legend from all around the world”.

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WHEN THE MAN COMES AROUND. Inspired to bring to life one of my childhood heroes, John Henry, in JOHN HENRY & THE STATESMEN. In this movie, I’ll lead an ensemble of the most popular folklore figures and legends from different cultures around the world. @NETFLIX is the perfect partner & platform to bring these global folklore icons to life. The NETFLIX brand speaks directly to our @sevenbucksprod ethos of being bold, ambitious and game changing – and most importantly, always thinking “Audience first” in homes all around the world. The legend of JOHN HENRY’S strength, endurance, dignity and cultural pride was instilled in my DNA at a very young age. My dad would sing “Big John” to me every time he would put me to bed. At bedtime most children get loving nursery rhyme songs — I got this/ Every mornin’ at the mine, you could see him arrive. He stood 6 foot 6 and weighed 245. Kind of broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip. And everybody knew you didn’t give no lip to Big John. Big John. Big Bad John. Directing this big ol’ tentpole is the talented and passionate, Jake Kasdan. Jake and I found nice success together in a little movie called, JUMANJI. Gonna be a lot of fun bringing these legends to life. My childhood hero. The steel driving man and his disruptive band of international folklore legends. JOHN HENRY & THE STATESMEN @sevenbucksprod @danygarciaco @hhgarcia41 @flynnpictureco @NETFLIX

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Oct 9, 2018 at 11:50am PDT

Opening up about the impact folk stories of steel driver Henry had on his life, Johnson added on Instagram: “The legend of JOHN HENRY’S strength, endurance, dignity and culture pride was instilled in my DNA at a very young age.”

Meanwhile, Netflix’s head of film Scott Stuber said: “Dwayne is a global superstar, inarguably one of the most popular actors in the world.

“He and Jake are a tremendous duo with a proven track record of entertaining audiences worldwide. We’re delighted to be able to partner with them and collaborate with Seven Bucks Productions and FPC.

“This is a story with universal appeal and we can’t wait to bring these characters to families around the globe.”

Bang Showbiz