Just weeks after Dwayne Johnson declared he wanted to "make films that matter", the actor has announced he is producing a biopic with his Seven Bucks production company about wrestling great and 16-time world champion Ric Flair.
"As a wild kid, who grew up in the wild world of professional wrestling, I idolized, ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. He was one of my heroes. And once I broke into the wrestling business and began to spill my own sweat and blood in arenas across America - my reverence for Ric turned to great respect," Johnson wrote on Twitter. You can read the full post below.
WOO! As a wild kid, who grew up in the wild world of professional wrestling, I idolized, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. He was one of my heroes. And once I broke into the wrestling business and began to spill my own sweat and blood in arenas across America - my reverence for Ric… pic.twitter.com/gfE2vSt6S1February 21, 2024
It’s not yet known which parts of Flair’s life will form part of the biopic but, given the reverent tone of Johnson, it’s unlikely to be a tragic retelling of his career in the style of The Iron Claw.
The self-proclaimed limousine-riding, jet-flying, kiss-stealing, wheeling n’ dealing son-of-a-gun is inarguably one of the greatest living wrestlers, first being crowned NWA World Heavyweight Champion in 1981.
A history maker and record breaker, Flair also formed part of the largest-attended wrestling event in history in 1995’s Collision in Korea and was a fan favorite – and roguish heel – for decades as part of the rosters of WCW, WWE, and TNA before retiring – once in 2008 and later in 2022.
For his part, Johnson told Variety in January that he wants to "push" himself in the industry, perhaps hinting that he wanted to move away slightly from the blockbusters that have shaped much of his acting career.
"I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain."
For Johnson, that begins with The Smashing Machine, the biopic of MMA star Mark Kerr – before heading back to his wrestling roots with the Nature Boy.
For more, check out the upcoming movies on the way. Still in a wrestling mood? Here’s Zac Efron talking about his preparation in the squared circle for The Iron Claw.
