Dwayne Johnson continues to line up new movie projects following Moana. His latest move continues his pivot toward more dramatic work, marking a fun career turn for the A-list star.
Johnson has been cast in Free Byrd, an action drama about a Las Vegas motorcycle stuntman with dementia who hides his diagnosis to attempt one last jump. According to the logline, the movie “examines and confronts the mind’s vast mysteries and the beauty and power of asking for help before it’s too late.”
Greg Kwedar, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Sing Sing and Train Dreams, will direct Free Byrd. Kwedar will rewrite the script originally penned by Jon Boyer. Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson wrote an earlier draft. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity will produce.
Dwayne Johnson is finding the right balance between blockbusters and prestige
Johnson’s career is taking a fascinating turn, one that marks a dramatic shift in his future roles. It all started with 2025’s The Smashing Machine, a sports biopic in which Johnson depicted MMA icon Mark Kerr. Johnson garnered some of the best reviews of his career. Although it didn’t lead to an Oscar nomination, Johnson recently said it “lit a fire in his spine,” which has been reflected in his recent movie choices.
Johnson is lining up prestige plays with well-respected directors and award-winning filmmakers. Johnson will reunite with Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie on Lizard Music. The Moana star has been cast in a Martin Scorsese drama alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt. The movie has been described as Goodfellas with the Hawaiian mob.
Another movie that Johnson has signed on for is Breakthrough, an A24 psychological thriller that Darren Aronofsky has been in talks to direct. Johnson also revealed that he’s working with J.J. Abrams on a movie about movies.
Johnson is not abandoning his blockbusters. Later this year, Johnson will star in his third Jumanji movie, Jumanji: Open World. He’s also expected to reprise his role as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious franchise.
What’s important is that Johnson’s career now has balance. For the last decade, it was all about headlining tentpole blockbusters and becoming the biggest movie star on the planet. Johnson certainly raised his profile as a bankable A-list star.
However, the failures of Black Adam and Red One clearly weighed heavily on Johnson, who began to seek other movies besides the giant action pics. The healthy balance between blockbusters and prestige has helped grow the careers of Timothée Chalamet, Sebastian Stan, and Scarlett Johansson.
Johnson has always been a talented actor. Now, it’s time to show the world the one thing he’s been lacking in his career: range.
Originally reported by Dan Girolamo for ComingSoon.
