If there's anything you could say is a true constant in today's entertainment industry,
it's this: What the Rock says, goes.
Dwayne Johnson's on-camera talents and unshakeable work ethic have turned him into
one of the biggest A-listers in the world — in every sense of the word. Even though
Hollywood's biggest name has a few forgotten failures in his résumé, the fact that Johnson
is able to say that he's the wealthiest star in the entire Fast and the Furious franchise
more than makes up for the occasional turkey. And he wasn't even part of the original squad.
Thanks to Johnson's borderline superhuman achievements in the movie business — and
his impressive physique, of course — fans have long been clamoring to see him kick
things up a notch and play an actual superhero... or, as the case may be,
supervillain. And sure enough, Johnson has lately been getting the most ripped he's ever been
in order to play Black Adam, the dangerous predecessor-turned-nemesis of the superhero
Shazam. And he's not just showing up in a few scenes in someone else's feature,
either. Oh no, Johnson's Black Adam is getting his very own movie.
The Black Adam solo film has been in development for a good while now,
so it's been easy to assume that the movie has been chugging along at whatever pace
Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment can manage. But it looks like that pace is rapidly quickening,
as the Rock has just revealed something big: the first pages of the Black Adam script.
In a three-minute video clip on Instagram, Johnson showed his
225 million-plus followers his copy of the Black Adam script,
written by Adam Sztykiel — with fresh revisions courtesy of The Mauritian writers Rory Haines
and Sohrab Noshirvani. Regarding the movie's impending shooting dates, Johnson had this to say:
"And I can't believe we are are the finish line with this thing, and what a journey it has been."
That "journey" Johnson is referencing has been a rocky one indeed,
as it seems to reference the fact that Black Adam was supposed to debut in theaters in December of
this year — before it was pulled off the schedule indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"So it feels good to be on the verge of bringing Black Adam to life."
Johnson continued to explain how he's been "fine-tuning" the script over the
last few months — placing bright yellow stickers on pages where
he wanted to leave notes — as part of his intensive, tequila-fueled "script study."
To celebrate the impending start of filming, Johnson let his audience in on this particular
night of script study, lifting the veil by showing off the very first page — which reads:
"Well, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day. And tell the world that everything's okay. But I'll
try to carry off a little darkness on my back. Till things are brighter... I'm the Man In Black."
Fans of Country legend Johnny Cash will no doubt recognize this as a slightly modified
quote from his signature song, "Man in Black" — and Johnson stated that
the quote is instrumental to the very essence of Black Adam.
"It gives you guys an example
of who Black Adam is, and who Black Adam is to the world of the DC universe."
Beyond that, though, Johnson had something to say about the
movie's place in the world of blockbuster superhero movies.
"...and that is the DC Universe, but that also includes the Marvel superhero universe, too."
Realizing that this remark might have broken the internet even further,
Johnson was good enough to clarify:
"Now, look. I'm not saying there's gonna be a mash-up. I'm not saying that. But what I am
saying is it doesn't matter to me, and it doesn't matter to Black Adam. You put 'em all on notice."
Understandably, this sneak peek has got fans very excited indeed — so excited, in fact, that a good
portion of the post's comments are simply various combinations of thumbs-up, fire, and heart emojis,
as well as heartfelt shows of support. For example, one user simply wrote:
"Hyped."
While another commented:
"Always our Rock!!"
Meanwhile, one appreciative Cash fan simply said:
"Johnny Cash baby."
So yeah, not a bad response so far, and it seems that Rock fans and DC fans alike are
hugely enthusiastic to finally see Johnson finally play Black Adam.
And since the actor also revealed that he'll start shooting the movie in about
three weeks — which should be sometime in April — it looks like the day the movie finally drops
is inching closer and closer. Until then? Keep an eye out for the Man in Black, folks.
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