Ever since Universal revealed plans to adapt Robert Ludlum’s final novel, Hollywood’s go-to franchise reviver Dwayne Johnson has been attached to star. And so, following his notable work on The Fast and Furious and G.I. Joe, the wrestler-cum-actor has been given a franchise of his own with The Janson Directive.
Academy Award winner Akiva Goldsman will write the script. Let’s roll… #Ludlum #Conspiracy #JansonDirective pic.twitter.com/B0tpHu3dL8
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 27, 2014
Johnson, who confirmed the role through his official Twitter page over the weekend, will step into the shoes of Paul Janson, an ex-Navy SEAL who has become a sought after corporate security consultant. Alongside the announcement, the studio confirmed that the script will be penned by none other than Akiva Goldsman — Oscar-winning scribe behind I Am Legend and I, Robot.
Based on Ludlum’s eponymous novel, the property shares strands of DNA with the late author’s Bourne series, and it seems as though Universal have mapped out preliminary plans for an adjacent franchise with Johnson at the center. Whether The Janson Directive reaches the dizzying heights of the Bourne franchise remains to be seen, but having Johnson as a no-nonsense hero who must clear his name amid government conspiracies could be an excellent and indeed long-term role for the actor.
For more on The Janson Directive, be sure to check out the official plot synopsis below.
When billionaire philanthropist Peter Novak is kidnapped by a terrorist known as The Caliph, it’s up to Paul Janson—a legend in the notorious U.S. covert agency Consular Operations—to save him. But Janson’s rescue operation goes horribly wrong…and soon Janson is marked for death, the target of a “beyond salvage” order issued from the highest level of the government. Now Janson is running for his life, pursued by Jessica Kincaid, a young agent of astonishing ability who can anticipate and counter his every move. To survive, Janson must outrace a conspiracy that has gone beyond the control of its originators. To win, he must counter it with a conspiracy of his own…
