It wasn't that long ago that Universal Pictures had acquired the rights to the late Robert Ludlum's 2001 novel, The Janson Directive. From the moment the rights were acquired, rumors began to spread that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson would play the lead role in the film.
It made sense, considering the superstar has played similar roles, but nothing official ever came from Johnson or Universal. While normally that wouldn't be strange, Johnson is well-known for teasing fans with upcoming roles, as seen during the whole Black Adam fiasco.
Even so, it seems the rumors were indeed true: Dwayne Johnson has just announced that he will play the lead role in the adaptation of The Jansen Directive. Johnson also announced that Academy Award winner Akiva Goldman will pen the script.
Academy Award winner Akiva Goldsman will write the script. Let's roll... #Ludlum #Conspiracy #JansonDirective pic.twitter.com/B0tpHu3dL8
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 27, 2014
The Janson Directive was author Robert Ludlum's final novel, and was released posthumously in 2002. The book, which tells the story of ex-Navy SEAL and private contractor Paul Janson, should be a relatively easy role for Johnson to play. Ever since making the jump to Hollywood in the early 2000s, Johnson has starred in a number of Bourne-esque roles, and The Janson Directive should fit in nicely with the actor's extensive filmography.
Best known for his work on A Beautiful Mind, Akiva Goldman has been hired to write the film's script. A Beautiful Mind won not only Best Adapted Screenplay, but Best Picture as well. Goldman's other work has not been so universally well-received: Goldman has also penned the scripts for films such as Cinderalla Man, The Da Vinci Code and Batman Forever.
At this point, other details on the film are relatively non-existent. The picture will be distributed by Universal Pictures, but aside from Johnson and Goldman, no other cast or crew members have been announced.
Turnaround on films like The Janson Directive can vary wildly, so trying to estimate a tentative release date for the film is basically pointless. At this point, Johnson's own Twitter may be the most consistent news source for the film, as the actor is well-known for using social media to make such announcements.
Photo: Eva Rinaldi (cropped)
