Dwayne Johnson Developing Wrestling Comedy Based on His Early Career

CBR

By Christos Tsirbas

Published Oct 21, 2016

Will Ferrell and Dwayne Johnson are teaming up for a sitcom inspired by the wrestling superstar's early days in the WWE.

Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? If you said, “ a new sitcom,” then you’re right.

Fox has commissioned a pilot from the former WWE wrestler and producer Will Ferrell based on the true-life misadventures of Dwayne Johnson and former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz, Variety reports.

The one-hour pilot, which hails from 20th Century Fox Television, is a joint initiative between Johnsons’s Seven Bucks Productions and Ferrell’s Gary Sanchez Productions. It has a put-pilot commitment, which means it will at least air as a special, although a series order seems like a lock.

Drawing from Johnson’s early career in the WWE, the as-yet-untitled comedy offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the shenanigans at a fictional professional wrestling league. It will focus on the mismatched relationship that develops between a charismatic young wrestler, inspired by the Rock, and an awkward sitcom writer, modeled on Gewirtz, who's new to the world of wrestling. The series will showcase the hustle and bustle of sports entertainment and the crazy characters who run the wrestling juggernaut.

“This November will mark the 20th anniversary of my professional wrestling debut,” Johnson reminisced. “I was 24 years old, putting in the hard work, making $40 bucks per match and had no clue of the long journey that lay ahead of me with characters and backstage stories so colorful you’d think there’s no way that can be true.”

He added, “The entertaining show that goes on in front of the crowd pales in comparison to the insanely entertaining show that goes on backstage. Brian and myself can’t wait to tell our stories.”

Gewirtz also shared his own recollection about working for the WWE, and his enthusiasm for the pilot: “Coming from Hollywood to the wrestling industry, with its intense backstage atmosphere and larger than life personalities, was a major culture shock. After working in the business for over 15 years, Dwayne and I had encounters and experiences that were unbelievable as well as unforgettable. We can’t wait to bring this project to the fans.”

The unnamed series is only the latest project for Johnson, who's one of the busiest men in Hollywood and ranked by Forbes Magazine as the world’s highest-paid actor. His HBO series “Ballers” was just renewed for a third season, and he recently launched his own YouTube channel. He was also tagged by YouTube to star in “Lifeline,” one of three new series commissioned for its subscription streaming service, YouTube Red.

Johnson also stars in Disney’s animated “Monoa,” debuting Nov. 23, “Fast 8,” arriving on April 14, 2017, and the “Jumanji” reboot, hitting theaters July 28, 2017.