Tag: Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Demands Soured Warner Bros. Relationship

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson may be the People’s Champion, but those at Warner Bros. aren’t sharing the love.

Last year, Black Adam, a project Johnson had been tied to for over a decade, underperformed at the box office, earning $391 million from its $260 million budget.

Following the film’s release, Johnson unfollowed both the social media accounts for Black Adam and Warner Bros, and there were reports of conflict.

Variety reports that The Rock, along with Black Adam producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn, “ruffled feathers” after they “went around everyone” to pitch their plans for Black Adam and Henry Cavill’s Superman.

Things got worse between Johnson and Warner Bros as expenses on Black Adam’s production grew, including Johnson demanding a tequila bar featuring his brand, Teremana, be set up for the film’s premiere.

One source who spoke to Variety explained that “his demands increased and the returns just weren’t there.”

While a post-credits scene sets up a Black Adam sequel, many believe that Black Adam will not receive a follow-up.

Source: ewrestlingnews

Details Released For The Rock And DSOTR’s New Vice TV Series – “Tales From The Territories”

The history of professional wrestling is about to have some light shined upon it.

According to Variety, Seven Bucks Productions, a company founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and producer Dany Garcia, will team up with the producers of “Dark Side Of The Ring” for a new documentary series on VICE called “Tales From The Territories,” putting a spotlight on the regional promotions that originally popularized pro wrestling in the United States. The series is scheduled to premiere on October 4, 2022, at 10 pm EST. The trailer can be seen below and features interview clips from Abdullah The Butcher and Bret Hart.

“In many ways, the wrestling world is a family, they have great moments, tough times, and everything in-between,” said Brian Gewirtz, vice president of creative development for Seven Bucks Productions and a former head writer for WWE. “There’s a rich history of untold stories which we can’t wait to bring to life.”

“Wrestling is embedded into Dwayne’s DNA and part of the brand ethos of our Seven Bucks Productions, so we are honored to showcase these sensational stories and to create a time-capsule of this legendary industry,” said Garcia. “Being able to honor and highlight the larger-than-life personas that jump-started the wrestling industry, through their first-hand accounts, is immensely special, and the type of storytelling we love to do here at Seven Bucks.”

Joining Seven Bucks as executive producers will be Jason Eisener and Evan Husney, the original creators of “Dark Side of The Ring,” which aired for three seasons on VICE.

“We’re incredibly excited to expand the ‘Dark Side of the Ring’ series with this first-ever exploration of the hidden past of wrestling’s Wild West era, with a dream collaborator in Dwayne Johnson, who has such deep family roots in the history of the business,” said Husney and Eisener. “We can’t wait to showcase the fascinating stories of the pioneers who set the stage for wrestling’s worldwide pop culture dominance.”

There’s been a lot of speculation recently regarding the future of “Dark Side Of The Ring,” as it had been reported that the series would be halted in place of something with a “softer tone,” and with access to WWE footage. The trailer, it should be noted, shows only photos and the signature reenactments that “Dark Side” has become well known for.  The show’s third season created significant controversy and shake-up behind the scenes of the wrestling industry when the “Plane Ride From Hell” episode caused problems for Ric Flair and Tommy Dreamer.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

“Young Rock” To Start Opposing WWE SmackDown In The Fall

The NBC schedule has been confirmed for the Fall of 2022, which has revealed that the third season of Young Rock is set to go up against WWE SmackDown.

It was recently announced that the popular show had been picked up for another season, which will see the life, and career of The Rock continue to be told. The next set of episodes are set to begin airing in November (no exact date has been confirmed), and it has been moved to Friday nights.

The official press release for this section of the NBC’s schedule reads as follows:

“In November, the laughs begin with George Lopez’s family comedy “Lopez vs. Lopez” at 8 p.m., teeing up the third season of Dwayne Johnson’s bio-series “Young Rock” at 8:30 p.m.”

Previously Young Rock had been airing on Tuesday, but it will now go head to head against WWE SmackDown. The blue brand takes place from 8pm – 10pm (EST), and NBC’s show is set to drop from 8:30pm – 9pm. This means fans will have some conflict, as Young Rock has proven to be a hit with the wrestling audience.

The Rock himself will continue to star in the show alongside Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Ana Tuisila, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu, Fasitua Amosa, John Tui and Matthew Willig.

The WWE legend has not commented on the renewal as of this writing. But, Seven Bucks Vice President and former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz took to Twitter and shared his thoughts.

“We’re BACK baby! Can’t wait to dive into Season 3 of #YoungRock! This is shaping up to be a helluva week!,” Gewirtz wrote.

It is currently unknown what the exact focal points will be when it comes to the third season. But, season two did see plenty of wrestling references with the likes of Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Triple H, The Iron Sheik, and even a young Roman Reigns being cast.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NBC Renews “Young Rock” For A Third Season

NBC has ordered a third season of “Young Rock” from WWE Legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his Seven Bucks Productions company.

The second season of “Young Rock” is currently airing on NBC Tuesday nights, and is available on Peacock the following day. NBC announced today that the show is being renewed for a third season, while “American Auto” and “Grand Crew” are being renewed for their second seasons.

NBC touted in today’s press release how “Young Rock” is the network’s #1 primetime comedy in the 18-49 key demographic.

Season one of “Young Rock” averaged 3.036 million viewers with a 0.62 key demo rating per episode, over 11 episodes. Season two has averaged 2.150 million viewers with a 0.40 key demo rating so far, across the 9 episodes that have aired as of this week.

The Rock has not commented on the renewal as of this writing, but Seven Bucks Vice President and former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz took to Twitter and reacted to the NBC announcement.

“We’re BACK baby! Can’t wait to dive into Season 3 of #YoungRock! This is shaping up to be a helluva week!,” Gewirtz wrote.

The Rock stars in the show alongside Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Ana Tuisila, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu, Fasitua Amosa, John Tui and Matthew Willig.

The show was created by Nahnatchka Khan and Jeff Chiang and inspired by Rock’s life. Rock, Khan, Chiang, Gewirtz, Dany Garcia, Jennifer Carreras, and Hiram Garcia serve as Executive Producers, while the show is produced by Seven Bucks, Universal Television, and Fierce Baby Productions.

https://twitter.com/bfg728/status/1524870816386670592
https://twitter.com/nbc/status/1524867066716487680

Source: Wrestling Inc.

The Rock Might Have To Change New XFL Logo After Being Served Legal Notice

The Rock’s XFL has been hit with a legal notice following the unveiling of its new logo.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has apparently encountered a bit of difficulty following the unveiling of the XFL’s new logo.

The football league is set to return under new management, with next year being looked at for a re-launch. And it is expected to be successful this time around given that the former WWE superstar is now the owner, having purchased it along with his ex-wife Dany Garcia and RedBird Capital in 2020.

There might be a hitch, though, with media and commerce company TOGETHXR having served the league with a legal notice over branding concerns, the main one being the X in a recently unveiled graphic being split with the word “Together” in between. TOGETHXR claims to already be using similar branding and appears to have a legitimate gripe.

TOGETHXR’s website says it’s an “unapologetic platform where representation and equality is the norm,” that intends to “shatter the often narrow depictions of women in the media with content featuring a diverse and inclusive community of game-changers, culture-shapers, thought leaders, and barrier breakers.”

The company, formed by some of the top American female athletes, including Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel, revealed having taken issue with the XFL’s graphic, as well as sending a legal notice to the football league.

“Too often the work and creativity of women is overlooked and undervalued,” they said in an Instagram post. “Diversity and equality are the norm around here. We’re thrilled to see the XFL embrace inclusivity but this rebrand ain’t it.

“We’ve issued a legal notice and will continue to protect the important work we’re doing.”

Source: TheSportster

The Rock Teases WWE Return On Social Media

It appears The Rock plans to follow his Super Bowl LVI opener up with another electrifying promo.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appears to have teased a return to WWE via a social media post.

The wrestling legend turned Hollywood star has some history with football and, though he never made it to the NFL, got last weekend’s Super Bowl LVI off to an electrifying start as he cut quite the promo to usher the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals out to the pitch.

Johnson’s promo included a few signature catchphrases, such as his “finally!” and “millions… and millions” of fans around the world bits. The latter would typically include a pause for the audience to respond – that pause wasn’t observed on Sunday, however.

Folks took notice of the absence and, after it was pointed out on social media, The Rock responded with claims that the pause is coming soon. Of course, WrestleMania 38 is around the corner, leading speculation The Great One could be part of the show.

https://twitter.com/TheRock/status/1493362359515054086

The Rock is just one of a few big names thought to be candidates for a WrestleMania appearance this year. The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer has noted that the actor will be pretty busy during the Show of Shows, but whatever happens on that front remains to be seen.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Cody Rhodes are also rumored to be set for comebacks. It’s been reported that WWE is keen on having Austin present, as well as another legendary name on his level, while Kevin Owens is rumored to be the one he will face after K.O. cut a promo talking down Texas on Monday night.

Rhodes, meanwhile, parted ways with AEW this week and reports suggest Vince McMahon wants him back. The WWE chairman is also said to be intent on giving Rhodes a major push right away, which should include a WrestleMania match.

Source: TheSportster

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Says XFL Training Camps Will Kick Off On Jan. 4, 2023

The XFL hype train is gaining some steam with the arrival of 2022.

At the end of December, XFL Part-Owner Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson teased that updates on teams and broadcast partners would be coming soon. Now with the new year, the new XFL is looking forward to the year-out date of the launch of training camps.

“I can tell you that the XFL player will be the hardest and hungriest players in the room,” Johnson said.

“One year from today. In exactly 365 days we will kick off our official 2023 XFL training camps. I’m so excited about this. I know you guys are excited too. All month long this month, our team of XFL executives are out there scouting the next great players. And I can tell you this, as an XFL owner and a man who has proudly put these calloused, dinosaur hands in the dirt all for the the love of football.. I can tell you that the XFL player will be the hardest and hungriest players in the room,” Johnson said in a video posted to Instagram and seen by nearly 2 million people as of Tuesday night. So football nation, we are building this for you. The XFL is watching all for the love of football.”

The XFL folded in 2020 with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the league was sold to a group that includes Johnson, and businesswoman Dany Garcia.

Source: ksdk.com

The Rock Announces Seven Bucks Productions Change: “We Won’t Use Real Guns At All”

The recent tragedy involving Alec Baldwin and Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust has rocked the entertainment world and sparked major conversations for change within the movie industry. The Rock has been part of those and has come out to make his stance about guns on film sets very clear.

The Rock recently spoke with Variety where he announced that from now on Seven Bucks Productions will no longer use real guns on set. Whether it is filming a movie or a television show, making it clear that it doesn’t matter what it costs.

“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can tell you, without an absence of clarity here, that any movie that we have moving forward with Seven Bucks Productions — any movie, any television show, or anything we do or produce — we won’t use real guns at all,” Johnson said.

“We’re going to switch over to rubber guns, and we’re going to take care of it in post. We’re not going to worry about the dollars; we won’t worry about what it costs.”

Dwayne Johson revealed that just hours after the sad news of Hutchins’ passing he got onto the phone and began discussing how things can change. Reaffirming that the rule will be no real guns, no matter what studio they work with.

“I love the movie business,” Johnson said. “There are safety protocols and measures that we have always taken in the movie business and we take very seriously, and these sets are safe sets, and we’re proud of that. But accidents do happen. And when something like this happens of this magnitude, [that is] this heartbreaking, I think the most prudent thing and the smartest thing to do is just pause for a second and really re-examine how you’re going to move forward and how we’re going to work together.”

“Any movie we do that Seven Bucks does with any studio, the rule is we’re not going to use real guns. That’s it.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE Announces Celebration For 25-Year Anniversary Of The Rock’s Debut

Nov. 17 will mark the 25-year anniversary of The Rock’s WWE debut. The company announced plans to celebrate it “all month long.”

The 25-year anniversary of The Rock’s professional wrestling match debut is coming up, and WWE has plans to honor the sports entertainment legend.

Nov. 17 will mark 25 years since the wrestler-turned-actor debuted for WWE at the Survivor Series 1996 pay-per-view. He debuted under the ring name “Rocky Maivia”, winning a 4-on-4 tag team elimination match by last eliminating Crush and Goldust.

On Monday, WWE announced that they will be celebrating the 25-year anniversary of The Rock’s debut throughout the month of November:

WWE uploaded two videos featuring The Rock on their YouTube channel on Monday. One of them is a montage of all The Rock’s WWE Championship wins, and the other is his singles match against Hall of Famer Kurt Angle on the July 18, 2002 episode of SmackDown. That bout resulted in a disqualification when The Undertaker interruptred and attacked The Rock.

The Rock emerged as one of the two new main event babyfaces of WWE during the Atittude Era, along with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Both wrestlers were instrumental in helping the company defeat the rival WCW promotion in the “Monday Night Wars”. Their respective arrivals came at much-needed times, as WCW was on the verge of putting Vince McMahon and company out of business.

It was previously reported that WWE was hoping to bring in The Rock for Survivor Series 2021, which will run on Nov. 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. However, he will reportedly be occupied filming in Australia during the marquee event.

It’s been more than five and a half years since The Rock last wrestled a WWE match. That took place at WrestleMania 32, where he defeated Erick Rowan via pinfall in just six seconds. The Rock was subsequently surrounded by The Wyatt Family, but John Cena — who was sidelined while recovering from shoulder surgery at the time — showed up to aid his former rival.

Source: TheSportster

Backstage Updates On The Rock’s WWE Future

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is reportedly not being considered for a match at WrestleMania 38 from AT&T Stadium in Dallas next year.

It’s been reported that WWE has had plans for The Rock to wrestle at WrestleMania 38, likely in a match against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, or a tag team match with SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos, where Reigns would team with one of the brothers, and Rock with the other.

In an update, Ringside News recently reported that The Rock is not being considered for a WrestleMania 38 role because they already have something else in mind for him – WrestleMania 39 in 2023 from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Rock is said to be a “virtual lock” for when WrestleMania returns to the Hollywood/Los Angeles area in 2023.

With Rock vs. Reigns likely for 2023, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter points to Brock Lesnar vs. Reigns being likely for WrestleMania 38 in 2022. The Observer noted this week that the Rock vs. Reigns match will take place if, when and where Rock wants it to, and that his schedule is so busy that there is no lock for anything. It was also noted that with Rock vs. Reigns being the idea for 2023, that likely means Lesnar vs. Reigns will be the top match for next year.

If WWE saves Lesnar vs. Reigns for WrestleMania in 2022, it will be interesting to see what they have Lesnar do in the next few months. Lesnar has reportedly signed a new deal that includes between 8 and 12 matches, which would carry him through early 2023 some time.

Recent reports have said WWE wants Rock to appear at the 2021 Survivor Series pay-per-view in New York City, to celebrate 25 years since his WWE debut. It’s always possible that The Rock returns to WWE TV before 2023, but he is considered to be almost a done deal for WrestleMania 39.

Source: Wrestling Inc.