Man-mountain, gymspiration, walking charm factory and friend to set-visiting journalists Dwayne Johnson was linked back in February with a seemingly perfect role: Hercules. Now, after a few months of negotiation and figuring out his hectic schedule, Johnson has locked in the lead.
Brett Ratner will direct the film, which is now being co-produced by Paramount and MGM. The plot will be based on Radical Studios’ Hercules: The Thracian Wars, created by Steve Moore.
The story sees the Thracian king* summon Herc and six battle-weary pals, tasking them with getting his army into fighting shape. Lured by the promise of gold and glory, Hercules readily agrees, but soon comes to realise how far he’s fallen from grace and what he might need to do to find some redemption.
Ryan Condal adapted the script, which has since seen work from Evan Spiliotopoulos. Once the rest of the cast is set, Ratner plans to begin filming early next year.
2013 will be busy for Johnson, at least in terms of film releases. He’ll appear in Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain, the delayed G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Snitch and the sixth** Fast & Furious** franchise outing. He’s also attached to Ciudad and Arabian Nights, along with a wealth of other projects. We can only anticipate the flurry of workout tweets...
*That's an ancient Greek kingdom, fact-fans!