The Rock Producing Son Of Shaolin Movie

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is among a number of producers who will develop a film based on the forthcoming graphic novel Son of Shaolin, Deadline reports.

Writer Jay Longino has reportedly optioned the rights to his upcoming graphic novel to Sony Pictures, who will see Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia from Seven Bucks Productions produce the film.

The report also indicates that there's hope Johnson will play an onscreen part in some capacity, but that the potential for that is being soft-pedaled. Johnson is expensive and busy, so it would be difficult to nail down such a commitment right away even if he didn't have Fast and Furious and Shazam! movies hanging over his head. Deadline also notes that there are persistent rumors that Universal wants Johnson to appear in their Wolf Man movie, which they're trying to get off the ground as part of the shared universe of classic Universal monsters, including Tom Cruise's upcoming The Mummy.

Of course, Johnson himself has a history with The Mummy/The Scorpion King franchise.

The script will be written by Longino, who co-scripted the upcoming Saban Films release Skiptrace, which Renny Harlin directed. The film, which stars Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville, will be released in the fall.

Both Longino and Ryan Kalil, an All-Pro center for the Carolina Panthers who financed the initial graphic novel, will join the film as executive producers as well. Kalil's Strange Turn Entertainment banner will likely share his credit. Producer Matt Milam will oversee the project for Sony, as he's the one who sold them on developing it.

Deadline reports that the movie is "a contemporary Kung-Fu story that intertwines Shaolin mythology with many of the current issues faced by teens growing up in a gentrifying neighborhood." Specific story details are still being kept under wraps, but will obviously be more available soon when the graphic novel is released.