‘Scorpion King’ restart coming from Dwayne Johnson and Universal – Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures and Seven Bucks Productions by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia are looking to relaunch a new Scorpion King film and put Jonathan Herman to write the screenplay. Johnson and Garcia will produce with Hiram Garcia of Seven Bucks. With Johnson booked until 2022, the studio will look to bring in a new actor to play the action hero as well as a director to steer the ship. Insiders also add, though it’s unclear due to his busy schedule, if he wanted to rush production, but given the importance of the project to Johnson, how lucky he was to appear in the film. also seems like a good possibility.

The original film followed a desert warrior who rises against the evil army destroying his homeland. Plot details are vague on what this reboot will do differently than the original, but sources say unlike the original, this one will be a contemporary take set in modern times.

The character has a soft spot in Johnson’s heart as it marked his acting debut, first appearing as a character in Universal’s box office success. The return of the mummy. The studio were so happy with the way the game went with the fans that the studio created a character-driven spinoff and helped transform Johnson into a full-fledged movie star.

“The Scorpion King was my very first role on the big screen and I am honored and excited to reinvent and deliver this cool mythology to a whole new generation, ”Johnson said. “I would not have had the career that I was lucky not to have The Scorpion King and I’m delighted that at Seven Bucks Productions we can help create those same opportunities for other hard-working actors today. I believe Jonathan Herman will do everything possible to deliver a fantastic script to our global audience. “

Universal’s Senior Vice President of Production Jay Polidoro and Creative Director Tony Ducret will oversee the project on behalf of the studio.

“The original Scorpion King was a crucial catalyst that propelled us into the world of cinema, ”said Dany Garcia. “Now being able to produce the next iteration as part of our Seven Bucks Productions slate is a special and complete moment, a testament to what we’ve been fortunate enough to build for our audience and ultimately a humble reminder of the timeless value of storytelling. authentic.

Herman was a studio fan favorite after his Oscar nominated work on the NWA biopic Straight out of Compton, which was not only a huge box office success but also won an Oscar nomination for Herman, starring Andrea Berloff, for their original screenplay. The studio recently hired him to do a rewrite on the upcoming Fast and furious picture F9 and he was also about to write a remake of the thriller Mark Wahlberg Fear. He is also one of the authors of the short story Scarface film at Universal.

Herman is represented by UTA, Industry Entertainment and Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark.