A reboot of The Scorpion King (yes, really) is in the works at Universal, with the original movie's star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson producing via his Seven Bucks Productions alongside business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia.
The project has Straight Outta Compton scribe Jonathan Herman on board to write the script, and is said to be a "contemporary take set in modern times."
Johnson will not reprise the lead role of Mathayus, aka the Scorpion King (a new actor is currently being sought), but there's said to be a "good possibility" that he will appear in some capacity.
“The Scorpion King was my very first role ever on the silver screen and I’m honored and excited to reimagine and deliver this cool mythology to a whole new generation,” said the Black Adam star. “I wouldn’t have had the career I’m lucky enough to have had it not been for The Scorpion King and I’m thrilled that we at Seven Bucks Productions can help create those same opportunities for other hard working actors today. I believe Jonathan Herman will put in the hard work to deliver a fantastic script for our global audience.”
The 2002 movie was actually a spinoff of The Mummy franchise (the character first appeared in The Mummy Returns via notoriously awful CGI), and while it received mostly negative reviews, it was a moderate box office success.
What do you guys make of this news? Have you any interest whatsoever in a modern-day take on The Scorpion King? Let us know in the comments.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.