Report Questions Professionalism Of WWE's Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson In Hollywood
As eternalized in Akira Kurosawa's 1950 classic "Rashomon," there are multiple sides to every story, and it's often impossible to discern "truth" from partial perspectives. WWE star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has now found himself at the center of his own "Rashomon," with conflicting stories circulating about his behavior on set in a new report from The Wrap.
The report sees Johnson accused of being "an average of seven to eight hours [late] per day" to the set of his upcoming Christmas blockbuster "Red One," as well as missing entire days of production on more than one occasion, citing anonymous sources. This reportedly caused the crew to either shoot around his absence or simply wait for the actor's eventual arrival, increasing the film's budget by an estimated $50 million.
"Dwayne truly doesn't give a f**k," one Hollywood insider was quoted as saying.
However, there is at least some doubt to the validity of the accusations, with the report citing several other sources who were "close to the production and [to Johnson's production company] Seven Bucks" who stated that the actor/wrestler was not more than an hour late to set on average. Additionally, sources from film studio Amazon MGM claim that the budget for "Red One" was always set for around $250 million, which is close to what it remains at today.
The Rock Accused Of Habitual Tardiness
The report also goes back further into Johnson's career, citing stories of the star being late to set for the TV series "Ballers" as well as movies like 2018's "Rampage" and "Red Notice," released on Netflix in 2021. Johnson's lateness on the latter film is said to have caused an argument between Johnson and co-star Ryan Reynolds, with the two actors going without speaking to one another for years before recently making amends. Additionally, one of Johnson's "Rampage" co-stars reportedly kept a log of how long the actor actually spent on set because of how often he was absent.
An anonymous Hollywood studio insider is reported as saying that Johnson refuses to work more than five hours a day, calling it a "control thing." Meanwhile, official statements from studios such as Netflix continue to praise the actor publicly, with the streaming giant providing a statement to The Wrap calling Johnson "the consummate professional."
Elsewhere in the article, Johnson is accused of breaking COVID-19 safety protocols during filming of "Red Notice." The actor reportedly flew home on multiple occasions, breaking the "bubble" regulations of the set, and even contracted COVID-19 after hosting family and friends for a gathering at his home. However, another anonymous source denied that this happened.
Further Accusations Of Unprofessional Behavior On Set
Possibly the strangest accusation in the report states that, in order to save time, Johnson will sometimes urinate in empty water bottles rather than excusing himself to use the restroom. While no sources claim this happened on the set of "Red One," it is something that Johnson previously acknowledged in a 2017 Esquire interview referenced by The Wrap.
The report continues by stating that Johnson would use production crews, hired to do marketing for his upcoming movies, to work on his personal projects. One example of this has two anonymous sources claiming Johnson used a production crew hired to shoot marketing materials for "Red Notice" to also film material for the XFL, while another source claims that would be a common occurrence for the star. According to an official statement from Seven Bucks, however, the most that would happen is using the same lighting that had been set up for marketing, with a different production crew brought in to film material for Johnson's endeavors.
Yet another accusation laid out in the report includes nepotism for Johnson's ex-brother-in-law Hiram Garcia, who is President of Production at Seven Bucks and is claimed to be unfit for the position. In response, Seven Bucks and Amazon MGM sources reinforced Garcia's credentials and stated that the basic concept of "Red One" came from Garcia himself.
The Rock's Current Position Within Hollywood & WWE
In addition to his Hollywood career, The Rock returned to WWE in a major way earlier this year, joining the TKO Board of Directors along with adopting an onscreen role ahead of WWE WrestleMania 40. Following his WrestleMania match, Johnson departed wrestling for Hollywood once again, this time to film "The Smashing Machine" with director Benny Safdie. The Wrap report pointed out that the UFC biopic will have a much smaller budget to work with than most Johnson films, with one insider predicting that things will go awry.
If "Red One" winds up underperforming in the eyes of Hollywood studios when it releases later this year, The Wrap speculated that it could have severe consequences for Johnson's career. 2022's "Black Adam" and "Skyscraper" in 2018 were both seen as disappointments, and a third underperformance in a row certainly wouldn't help Johnson's future prospects.
Before his latest departure from WWE, The Rock made it clear there was unfinished business between himself and Cody Rhodes. On top of that, there is the elephant in the room — an inevitable match between The Rock and Roman Reigns in the future. While Johnson may be off filming his next movie, it's unlikely that he will be away from WWE for too long this time around.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Wrap" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.