The Rundown 2: Jonah Hill Wanted Opposite Dwayne Johnson For Long-Gestating Sequel
Cast a fleeting glance over Dwayne Johnson’s IMDb page at any given time and you’ll no doubt lay eyes on a slate crammed full of tentpole blockbusters – whether it’s upcoming creature feature Rampage or something more family-oriented in the vein of Sony’s Jumanji sequel.
In tracing back through the wrestler-turned-actor’s career – one that shot into the stratosphere following Fast Five – you’ll also stumble upon a handful of low-key action movies including Walking Tall and Peter Berg’s The Rundown. For years, Berg has been trying to engineer some form of follow-up to the latter, and it appears the Deepwater Horizon helmer has zeroed in on his candidate of choice for The Rundown 2: Jonah Hill.
Back in 2003, the original cult actioner featured The Rock as a musclebound bounty hunter assigned with a gig that involved locating his boss’ wayward son (Seann William Scott). Also starring Christopher Walken and Rosario Dawson, it was a fun, if forgettable ride, but 13 years on and Berg is keen to fire up production on a sequel that places the Oscar-winning Hill opposite Dwayne Johnson.
“We’ve been talking about it. You know, I wanted to do it with Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. If I could get Jonah Hill, I’d do it tomorrow. If I could get Dwayne and Jonah Hill, I’d do it tomorrow,” said Berg.
There are, of course, logistical hurdles still to overcome, but Peter Berg remains confident: “Anything’s possible. We want to do it, it’s just hard to get everybody, you know. It’s on our minds. We actually wrote a script. But I want Jonah Hill, so reach out to Jonah. Pressure Jonah to do it. If Jonah Hill would do it, I’m in.”
For The Rundown 2, the ball now seems to be in Jonah Hill’s court. Peter Berg, meanwhile, is prepping true-life thriller Deepwater Horizon for release on September 30.
