Of the studios competing to clinch a deal for Dwayne Johnson and Rawson Marshall Thurber’s new, China-set action movie – yesterday we learned the roster included Legendary, Universal, Sony and Paramount – The Hollywood Reporter has now revealed that Legendary has emerged victorious from the intense bidding war, landing a seven-figure deal for Skyscraper.
That’s the title of the piping hot package, reuniting Johnson with his Central Intelligence director Marshall Thurber for an original, balls-to-the-walls actioner that has been likened to “Die Hard in China.” There’s also word of producer Beau Flynn inking a deal to oversee production, continuing a streak with Dwayne Johnson following Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, New Line’s San Andreas and next year’s Baywatch.
As the second biggest movie market on the planet, the pull of China and its promise of lucrative box office returns grows stronger by the year, and now that The Rock’s leading man status is all but set in stone after catapulting San Andreas to almost half a billion worldwide, Skyscraper has all the makings of an international slam dunk.
However, as THR notes, plot details for the nascent project are being kept firmly under wraps for the time being, but Dwayne Johnson did relay some additional nuggets of info via Instagram.
We’re going to CHINA. Huge news out of Hollywood yesterday. After a massive multi million$ bidding war, our project #SKYSCRAPER has finally found its home at #LegendaryStudios Gotta keep the plot under wraps for now, but I can tell you the movie takes place in the most magnificent skyscraper in the world – in China. Imagine DIE HARD, TOWERING INFERNO and THE FUGITIVE as inspiration.
As for Dwayne Johnson and Rawson Marshall Thurber’s first partnership, look for Central Intelligence to storm theaters on June 17. Skyscraper, meanwhile, will now begin sending out the feelers as it looks to lock down a core – and surely international – cast.
