Dwayne Johnson To Star In Action Comedy Red Notice
Dwayne Johnson and Rawson Marshall Thurber are teaming up for another action comedy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Central Intelligence director and star are set to work together again on the original property Red Notice.
The movie's title refers to the most serious of the eight Interpol notices, talking about the arrest of wanted criminals. Johnson is said to be playing an Interpol agent in the movie, and he could receive a massive payday for his efforts. The actor is reportedly eyeing a $20 million salary for the film, a huge milestone that few actors reach for non-sequel films. The film will also reportedly feature another co-lead, although there's no word yet on who that might be.
While details are few and far between, Red Notice is definitely a hot property. The film is said to have ignited "one of the biggest bidding wars Hollywood has seen in years," according to The Hollywood Reporter, with New Line, Paramount, and Sony all getting in on the action. The movie ultimately went to Legendary and Universal, with Universal reportedly acting as a distributor and co-financier. The film is said to have a budget in the $125 to $150 million range.
The movie reunites Johnson and Thurber, who previously worked together on the 2016 box office smash Central Intelligence. The pair also recently got together for the action thriller Skyscraper, which debuted its first footage at the Super Bowl. That film, which features Johnson as an army vet who has to rescue his family from a burning building, is set to hit theaters this summer. Thurber, who also previously worked on Dodgeball and We're the Millers, could reportedly take home $10 million for writing and directing Red Notice.
Johnson is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, and the actor has a very full plate. He can currently be seen in the box office behemoth Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which currently sits at $860.1 million worldwide. (via Box Office Mojo) The movie is set to get a sequel, with the original cast reportedly returning. He is also set to star in the video game adaptation Rampage, which hits theaters in April, and will lead his own Fast and the Furious spin-off with director David Leitch. He is also set to star in Disney's Jungle Cruise opposite Emily Blunt; the movie will start shooting this spring.
Red Notice is said to be on the fast track, with a 2019 production start date being eyed. Johnson is set to produce the film alongside Beau Flynn (San Andreas), Dany Garcia (Baywatch), and Hiram Garcia (Furious 7).