Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has landed his dream role, announcing earlier today that he’s set to play King Kamehameha I in The King – the legendary ruler who united the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom after years of conflict between warring chiefs.
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To match the sheer epicness that comes with The Rock playing a king, Deadline reports Robert Zemeckis will helm the film while Randall Wallace will write the screenplay. Zemeckis is the director of Forest Gump, the writer of Back to the Future, and the producer of Allied. Then there’s Wallace, the man behind Braveheart, The Man in the Iron Mask, and Pearl Harbour.
Sign me UP.
According to Deadline, the former WWE star had been thinking about the role since his time as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001) but had never felt ready… until now. As Johnson flew to Hawaii to film the 2017 Disney hit Jumangi: Welcome to the Jungle, he reached out to Wallace to write the screenplay and then Zemeckis came on board and here we are.
In his emotional Instagram post, the Rock wrote:
Humbled and grateful to begin this once in a lifetime journey.
KING KAMEHAMEHA – the legendary King was the first to unite the warring Hawaiian islands — fulfilling the prophecy that surrounded his fabled life since birth and creating the powerful and spiritual 50th state as we know it today.
From the day I began my Hollywood career (2001), my dream was to bring this legacy to life.
In Polynesian culture we have a belief, that something isn’t done when it’s ready… it’s done when it’s right.
The one who walks alone.
The King is expected to begin filming in 2020 with a release date yet to be announced.
In the mean time, Johnson’s currently working on Disney’s Jungle Cruise alongside Emily Blunt and Jack Whitehall.
Jungle Cruise will cruise into cinemas in October 2019.
