According to Variety, WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is set to star in and produce a new action drama titled “Free Byrd”. The film will be directed by Greg Kwedar and is written by Jon Boyer. Kwedar is known for his work on the Oscar-nominated films “Sing Sing” and “Train Dreams”, and he will also be rewriting the script.
In “Free Byrd”, Johnson plays a Las Vegas motorcycle stuntman who is hiding a dementia diagnosis from everyone, including his mechanic brother, as he risks everything on one last jump.
The film will be produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity, along with Gil Netter (known for “Life of Pi” and “The Blind Side”) and Fifth Season. Johnson will produce through his Seven Bucks Productions banner, alongside Kwedar and Clint Bentley for Ethos.
In addition, Johnson is about to appear in theaters with the live-action adaptation of “Moana”, which opens this weekend and is expected to easily claim the #1 spot at the box office. His most recent film, “The Smashing Machine”, earned him a Golden Globe nomination and sparked Oscar buzz, although he ultimately did not receive an Oscar nomination.
