Dwayne Johnson has been instrumental in helping to round out ensemble casts for the FAST & FURIOUS films, as well as G.I. JOE: RETALIATION. Next Friday he's going pretty much solo in Brett Ratner's HERCULES. While the director of X-MEN: THE LAST STAND hasn't exactly won over the hearts of fans, there's no question that Dwayne Johnson is pulling out all the stops on his end, including asking to be shackled in real steel to shoot one of the most iconic scenes in the film.
Take a look:
Dwayne Johnson recalls shooting the scene:
I asked the prop department to lock me in with real steel chains that I couldn't break, so the performance would be real. When HERCULES finally accepts his fate of being the son of Zeus, it's THE epic moment of the mythology – and our movie. We shot this scene 8 times – I blacked out every time. Down to my knees. Well worth the fun pain.. this moment is iconic. Im excited for you to see it…
I remember Dwayne Johnson being groomed to be the next big action star during the SCORPION KING/RUNDOWN days. At the time, it just felt a little forced. Over the years he's really stepped up his game as far as his cinematic acting goes, and even his body! It's weird to look back on some of his early films and see how "small" he was. Johhnson is an absolute force to be reckoned with and I love the fact he's going all in for HERCULES. Given that this movie is riding on his shoulders, I hope it turns out to be a fun action/adventure flick.
HERCULES will hit cinemas July 25, 2014.