Dwayne Johnson is currently in negotiations that are expected to close this week to take over the lead role from Brendan Fraser in “Journey To The Center Of The Earth 2.”
While the official line being touted is that Fraser dropped out due to scheduling conflicts, earlier this year Deadline revealed that the actor insisted on working with the original film’s director Eric Brevig on the sequel. But with New Line wanting the film ready for 2011, and Brevig readying his magnum opus “Yogi Bear” for later this year, they hired Brad Peyton (“Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”) to helm the picture instead.
So how will they work Johnson into the story? He “will play the boyfriend of [Josh] Hutcherson’s mom, who Hutcherson is forced to bring on a trip to a mythical and monstrous island to find his missing grandfather.” Phew! For a minute there we were really concerned about the continuity.
Expect more cast members to be announced shortly. The film, which will be shot in 3D, begins production in late October in Hawaii and North Carolina.