Dwayne Johnson’s action-comedy Red Notice will go to Universal and Legendary after a ferocious bidding war. Johnson’s humongous box office clout was re-affirmed this winter with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which to date has grossed $860 million worldwide. Johnson will flex his muscles again this summer with the physics-defying action film, Skyscraper.

Dwayne Johnson first became known in the world of entertainment as the professional wrestler dubbed The Rock. With his winning personality and memorable catchphrases, The Rock became one of the biggest stars in WWE history. It was only a matter of time before the charismatic Johnson made his way to the world of films. After some awkward early vehicles, Johnson hit his stride when he jumped aboard the Fast and Furious franchise for 2011’s Fast Five. His true breakout as a solo action star however came in San Andreas, the 2015 disaster movie in which he starred as a heroic helicopter pilot. Since then, Johnson has become one of the biggest - and most bankable - stars in the world.

Given Johnson’s massive appeal, it’s no surprise that multiple studios grappled to land the actor’s newest project, Red Notice. Now the dust has settled and, as Deadline reports, Universal and Legendary have come out the winners. Red Notice will again re-team Johnson with his San Andreas and Skyscraper writer/director Rawson Thurber. The project is described as a globe-spanning heist thriller designed to team Johnson with an as-yet-unnamed star. According to Deadline, nearly every major studio and Netflix became involved in bidding before Universal and Legendary won.

Confirming previous reports about the dollars involved, Johnson gets a $20 million payday on Red Notice, with Thurber getting eight figures. The film’s budget should fall in the $125 million range, not a sizable bump over San Andreas. Johnson and Thurber of course proved themselves a formidable team with San Andreas, which grossed $473 million worldwide. Their second collaboration, Universal and Legendary’s Skyscraper, looks like it could do similar business. Those expecting Johnson’s star to fall continue to be sorely disappointed. If anything, Johnson only keeps on ascending up the ranks of Hollywood superstars. Today, he is undoubtedly the most bankable international action hero in Hollywood.

In addition to Red Notice, Johnson’s upcoming slate also includes the monster movie Rampage, an inevitable Jumanji sequel, and the Shazam! spinoff Black Adam. Johnson also remains attached to a possible Fast and Furious spinoff teaming his Hobbs character with Jason Statham’s Shaw. Later this year, Johnson will release Fighting With My Family, a wrestling-centered drama. Johnson will also star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which recently added Emily Blunt and Logan writer Michael Green.

More: 10 Times Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Was A Sweetheart (And 10 Times He Was A Total Jerk)

Red Notice tentatively goes into production in early 2019 with release coming in 2020.

Source: Deadline

  • Skyscraper Release Date: 2018-07-13 Rampage Release Date: 2018-04-13