Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson breaks his silence on being cast in Martin Scorsese's new movie, calling it the "most creatively inspiring time" of his career

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in Red One
(Image credit: Prime Video)

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has finally addressed the news that he's joining as the lead of Martin Scorsese's new movie. The as-yet untitled flick will follow a Hawaiian crime boss bidding for control of organized crime in the US state and will also star Emily Blunt and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Johnson's casting was announced at the end of February, and in mid-March he addressed the news on Twitter. "Grateful for what’s been the most creatively inspiring time of my career – working closely with my friends and of course, the maestro Marty Scorsese," he wrote.

"In the 60's, 70's & 80's the mafia controlled New York, Miami, Chicago, Vegas, and a particularly strong hold on the island I was raised – Hawaii. Much more to come. Aloha nui loa."

The upcoming movie will be written by Nick Bilton and is set in the '60s and '70s in Hawaii when a charismatic mob boss rose to build a powerful criminal empire. Per Deadline, "it’s based on the untold true story of a man who fought to preserve his homeland through a ruthless quest for absolute power – igniting the last great American mob saga, where the war for cultural survival takes place in the unlikeliest of places: paradise."

Johnson has been staying busy over the past few years, headlining blockbusters like Black Adam and Red One. He's also been filming the live-action version of Moana most recently and has Benny Safdie's movie The Smashing Machine on the horizon too, which marks his pivot into more dramatic roles.

For more upcoming movies, check out our guide to 2025 movie release dates.

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

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