In a somewhat unexpected collaboration, Martin Scorsese is looking to direct a crime drama starring none other than Dwayne Johnson. Also joining the high-profile project are Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt, both of whom are attached to produce alongside Scorsese and Johnson.
The developing screenplay, penned by journalist and author Nick Bilton, is based on a true story and is being described as a mob epic in the vein of Goodfellas and The Departed. Set in 1960s and 70s Hawaii, it will follow a ruthless and charismatic crime boss—played by Johnson—who waged war against mainland corporations and rival syndicates while attempting to preserve his ancestral land. The pitch has already ignited buzz, with multiple studios and streamers eager to snap up distribution rights.
Johnson, who has long expressed a desire to make a film set in Hawaii, has been attached to various island-based projects over the years, including a still-unmade film about King Kamehameha. This will be Johnson’s first time working with Scorsese, who could be just the filmmaker to give the former WWE superstar a career-defining role.
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It was Deadline that first broke the news, revealing that Johnson and Blunt initially brought the idea to Scorsese and DiCaprio, before enlisting Bilton to develop the script. While no official deals have been signed yet, the project has reportedly already sparked a bidding war, with multiple studios looking to secure what is shaping up to be one of the hottest films in development.
It’s yet another project for DiCaprio and Scorsese, who have worked together on films like Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Killers of the Flower Moon; the duo has built one of the most successful director-actor partnerships in modern cinema. The pair are also circling a start on The Devil in the White City, a true-story period piece that tells of a serial killer (more details on that one HERE).
Meanwhile, Blunt and Johnson are fresh off their Jungle Cruise pairing, and they’ll soon be seen together again in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, an A24 drama that will see Johnson playing MMA fighter Mark Kerr. It’s clear that Johnson is looking to embark on more dramatic, performance-driven fare following years of primarily broad action-adventure work.
Apart from Devil in the White City, Scorsese is also attached to a biopic about Frank Sinatra and a film about the life of Jesus. However, both of those projects are currently on hold, making this collaboration with Johnson his most imminent major endeavour. Stay tuned as this one comes together.
