Iron Man 3directorShane Blacksigned on to directan adaptation of the 1930s pulp fairDoc Savagein a film for Sony. The project has been lingering the background for sometime, though he mentioned during a recent interview that he wantedDwayne Johnsonfor the title role. “We’re hoping to make it sometime next year,”he said at the time, eluding to a 2017 production start. He continued by name-dropping The Rock and said, “I made a decision that Dwayne is the guy. It’s on the back burner while he’s busy.” Well, it seems like the two made it work.
Yesterday, Johnson posteda chunk of text to Instagramabout his increasingly busy schedule. However, he did mention something oddly specific: “On the iPad I’m reading an outline for a cool movie I’ll make in 2017 (with director Shane Black) and when I get tired and need a lil' pick me up, the shaker cup holds a special shot of energy - Elk piss.”
The only other movie Johnson could possibly be referring to is the nextPredator, which Black is directing for a 2018 release. ButDoc Savageseems far more likely, and that means the actor will be busier still.
I used to thinkJennifer Lawrencewas the hardest working actor in Hollywood, bouncing fromThe Hunger Gamesto her nextDavid O. Russellfilm toX-Mento a press tour and back — and for a while she was. But now Johnson has her beat. He recently finished wrapping theBaywatchmovie reboot and went almost immediately to filmingFurious 8in Cuba with directorF. Gary Gray. He also performed voice work for Disney Animation’sMoanaand is set to appear in theJumanjireboot and DC’sShazam!. On top of that, a sequel toSan Andreaswas announced and he also hasRampage, based on the classic arcade game.
Though, the character of Clark Savage Jr. is unlike anything he’s tackled before. His mind was molded by his father to superhuman levels, affording Savage strength, martial arts abilities, and vast amounts of knowledge. “We’re shooting it as though it’s in the ‘30s, including all the Capra-esque elements of 1930s films likeYou Can’t Take It With You,”Black told Colliderin a 2013 interview. “The idea of ‘What ifJimmy Stewartwere a stone-cold killer?’ basically. It’s that kind of combination which we enjoy,” though he later clarified in an email to us, “He always tempered his violent skills with kindness and a social conscience, preferring never to take human life.”
