While he’s done it fairly quietly, Dwayne Johnson has become one fo the few actors around consistently churning out hit movies. Many have suggested it was his presence that ensured the recent Journey 2 turned into a far bigger box office draw than anyone had expected.
Warner/New Line is already at work on a third Journey movie, and now TheWrap suggests Johnson is in talks to return as Hank in Journey 3. A couple of days ago, director Brad Peyton and screenwriters Brian Gunn and Mark Gunn signed on for the third movie. No details on the story have been revealed yet, but Peyton has suggested it will be based on another of Jules Verne’s classic tales.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was a follow-up to 2008’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, although Josh Hutcherson was the only actor to return for the second installment, portraying Sean. Dwayne Johnson played Sean’s stepfather Hank in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, and it seems Hank will be imparting more wisdom (and pec-pops) to Sean in Journey 3, even though Josh Hutcherson hasn’t officially signed on yet.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island has grossed over $280 million worldwide since opening in early February. No production schedule was given for Journey 3, although Warner Bros. is eyeing a 2014 release.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was one of those movies that people in film circles completely ignored (or perhaps just wondered why it had been made), while average filmgoers lapped it up and turned it into a surprise hit – it’s grossed $270 million so far – with the movie substantially outgrossing its predecessor, Journey To The Center Of The Earth.