Action-Thriller PROTECTION - Dwayne Johnson

[GreenScar]

Chalk up another action flick for Dwayne Johnson as the actor has signed on to replace Clive Owen in the action-thriller Protection. The Wrap also reports that director Patrick Alessandrin (District 13: Ultimatum) has left the project. We reported back in January that Owen and Alessandrin had come on board to replace Paul Walker and Simon West (Tomb Raider), respectively. Written by Brandon Noonan, the story “follows a disgraced former Special Forces soldier who takes on a Mexican cartel in an attempt to rescue and protect a judge’s 21 year-old daughter, who has been targeted by the cartel for agreeing to testify against one of its members after she witnesses her father’s murder. The action will reportedly play out on both sides of the border.”

Johnson is currently shooting the action flick Faster and I’m jazzed that he’s picking up another pic in the genre rather than going back to the family films that underutilize his talent. Yes, it’s funny to see the big muscular guy dressed in a tutu, but we all know that Johnson’s destiny is to be in movies where he beats people into chunks.

[Foggy]

Thank god, he's trying to revitlize himself.

This and Faster may not be good but at least they are less painful than The Tooth Fairy!

[WyldeMan45]

I was real happy when I read this, cause it's about damn time he returns to his roots. I am very much looking forward to Faster and I'd assumed he would have followed that up with Tooth Fairy 2, lol. So happy that's not the case.

[WyldeMan45]

New Details on Dwayne Johnson’s PROTECTION

Last week we reported Dwayne Johnson had replaced Clive Owen in director Simon West’s (Con Air, The Mechanic, Tomb Raider) Protection. I guess the casting is now official as we’ve just gotten a press release. While most of the info was already known, there were a few new details on the film like the budget will be $35 million, Johnson’s character is called ‘Hombre’, and it’s scheduled to shoot this fall in New Mexico.

Los Angeles, April 28, 2010 — Dwayne Johnson has signed to star in the action thriller PROTECTION, as announced by IM Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford today. PROTECTION will be directed by Simon West (CON AIR, LAURA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER, THE MECHANIC, STRANGERS) and is scheduled to lens in New Mexico this fall. The screenplay was written by Brandon Noonan.

Johnson will star as ‘Hombre’ in the $35 million budgeted, high-octane tale of a mercenary Mexico City security operative forced to smuggle the daughter of an under-threat, high ranking judge and the judge’s chief legal counsel across the border while being pursued by corrupt cops, drug lords and white collar U.S. criminal forces. With PROTECTION, Johnson continues the return to his action roots, having just completed filming CBS Films’ FASTER, which is scheduled for release this November.

PROTECTION will be produced by Ford and Robert Lawrence, along with Gordon Gray and Marc Ciardi of Mayhem Pictures. Brian Kavanaugh Jones will executive produce and Jib Polhemus will act as co-producer.

Said Ford: “Dwayne is poised to consolidate his position as one of the planet’s top action stars over the next few years. Meanwhile Simon is a proven commodity when it comes to studio level action pics. Add to that a pulsating storyline which is very much grounded in current events and I think we have a potential smash hit movie”.