Time will tell if the upcoming “Jumanji” has a prayer with moviegoers, but Dwayne Johnson is doing what he can to get the film off on the right foot.
As production for the movie gets underway in Hawaii, Johnson — who’ll star as Dr. Bravestone in the adventure film — shared footage of himself with co-stars Kevin Hart and Jack Black partaking in a prayer ritual via Instagram on Wednesday.
“Jumanji” director Jake Kasdan and castmate Karen Gillian also took part in the ritual.
“Before we embark our #JUMANJI journey here in Hawaii, we gathered our entire cast (here with me are Jack Black, Kevin Hart, our director Jake Kasdan and Karen Gillian) and crew together as our Hawaiian Kahu (priest) Cordell Keka blesses our film with powerful aloha spirit of laughter, enjoyment and love,” Johnson wrote.
The actor went on to describe the mood created by the blessing as “extremely powerful.”
“I often talk about mana (spirit) with you guys and the mana in this room/in this moment was extremely powerful – it can take your breath away and give you goosebumps like crazy. (I was low key ready to run thru a wall in this moment;),” Johnson continued. “Our Kahu eloquently spoke and reminded us that even though our faces are the ones on screen, it takes an AMAZING CREW OF EVERYONE to make this movie work. And when we get tired from long work hours to always remember the joy, laughter and fun our movie will bring to families around the world.”
That should help to keep the vibes pleasant on set — unlike a spat that Johnson was recently involved in on filming “Fast 8” during which he described some of his male costars as “candy asses.’
Currently slated for a July 2017 release, the upcoming “Jumanji” movie won’t be a reboot of the original 1995 film, which starred Robin Williams, but rather a continuation.
“Now in two weeks I’ll reunite with ol’ friends Kevin Hart & Jack Black and we have the honor to introduce a whole new generation to the amazing world of #JUMANJI. *(for the record we are NOT making a reboot, but rather a continuation of the awesome JUMANJI story),” Johnson said in an Instagram post last month.
The Ultimate Guide to Dwayne Johnson's Upcoming Movie and TV Projects (Photos)
The Rock has gone from being one of the biggest names in WWE to one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. As he continues to announce new projects via social media, TheWrap lists Dwayne Johnson's insane schedule for the upcoming years. Disclaimer: Some of these projects are in script phase or have just been announced, so are subject to changes.
"Jumanji: The Next Level"
After the success of 2017's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," which grossed almost a billion dollars, Sony has set its sequel, also starring Nick Jonas, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart, for December 13.
Sony
"Jungle Cruise"
Johnson will star in Disney’s live-action “Jungle Cruise,” which is based on its popular theme-park ride. “Jungle Cruise” will also star Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall and Jesse Plemons, and Jaume Collet-Serra is directing. It is set to hit theaters July 24, 2020.
Disney
"Black Adam" In 2016, it was announced Johnson would star in a "Black Adam" spinoff movie. Johnson has been attached to play the character since 2008. Most recently, Jaume Collet-Serra was being eyed to direct the film for New Line Cinema. Adam Sztykiel (“Rampage”) is writing the screenplay. Johnson recently announced the film's release date: December 22, 2021.
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"Red Notice"
Johnson will star alongside Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds in the international heist thriller "Red Notice," written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber ("Skyscraper"). Initially, the project had been set up at Universal, but in July, it moved to Netflix. It is set to begin production in 2020.
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"The King"
In 2018, it was announced Johnson would star as Hawaiian king Kamehameha I in Robert Zemeckis’ “The King.” Warner Bros. and New Line picked up the package. “King” is based on a spec script written by Randall Wallace (“Braveheart”). Johnson will produce alongside his Seven Bucks Productions partners Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, as well as FlynnPictureCo’s Beau Flynn, Zemeckis and Wallace.
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"Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon" In 2012, it was reported that Johnson would reprise his role as Hank from "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" in a third installation. He replaced Brendan Fraser, who starred as Trevor Anderson, in the 2008 "Journey to the Center of the Earth." However, there has been no recent movement on the project.
New Line Cinema
"Big Trouble in Little China" In 2015, The Rock was in negotiations to star and produce the remake of John Carpenter's cult classic "Big Trouble in Little China," written by "X-Men: First Class" scribes Ashley Miller and Zach Stentz.
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"The Janson Directive" This film is optioned, with Johnson set to take on the role of Navy SEAL Paul Janson. Universal foresees the project as potentially launching a franchise akin to its successful “Jason Bourne” series, also based on the late Robert Ludlum's best-selling novels.
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"Alpha Squad Seven" DreamWorks won the rights to the sci-fi pic "Alpha Squad Seven" in May 2015, to which Johnson is attached to star. The film is still in script phase.
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Film about The Smashing Machine
In November, The Rock announced that he would star in and produce a film about MMA fighter Mark Kerr, also known as The Smashing Machine.
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From “Jumanji: The Next Level,” which opens Dec. 13, to “Jungle Cruise” and “John Henry and the Statesmen” — The Rock sure has some busy years ahead of him
The Rock has gone from being one of the biggest names in WWE to one of the hardest working men in Hollywood. As he continues to announce new projects via social media, TheWrap lists Dwayne Johnson's insane schedule for the upcoming years. Disclaimer: Some of these projects are in script phase or have just been announced, so are subject to changes.