At this point, Hollywood blockbuster stalwart Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is practically a franchise in his own right, as evidenced by this weekend’s news that the actor has a TV show on the way that’s inspired by his own life.
Deadline reports that NBC has given an 11-episode straight-to-series order to Young Rock, a single-camera comedy that chronicles the former pro wrestler’s formative years. The project comes from Johnson himself and Fresh Off the Boat creator and executive producer Nahnatchka Khan, the latter of whom co-wrote the pilot episode with Fresh Off the Boat co-executive producer Jeff Chiang.
Johnson is expected to appear in each episode of the show, having pitched the project with Khan to NBC. According to NBCEntertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy, the series “will feature Dwayne as he grows up through life,” adding that it’s “Dwayne’s life brought to life by a brilliant and soulful writer like Nahnatchka.” Telegdy also mentioned that Young Rock was the first pitch Khan brought to the network under her four-year overall deal with Universal Television.
The show is produced by Universal TV, Johnson’s Seven Bucks Productions and Khan’s Fierce Baby Productions. Executive producers include Chiang, Khan, Johnson, Fierce Baby’s Jennifer Carreras and Seven Bucks’ Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Brian Gewirtz. Along with an L.A. mayor series from Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, it’s the second high-profile comedy from Universal TV to get a straight-to-series order from NBC for next season.
Right now, details on Young Rock are still pretty vague, but as we wait for further news to emerge, Johnson’s latest film, Jumanji: The Next Level, is currently in the midst of a successful run in theaters.