Though it has been shelved for more than 10 years, this long-lost video game adaptation starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson should still happen. The wrestler-turned-Hollywood-star has been one of the biggest celebrities for nearly three decades, and The Rock continues to headline blockbuster after blockbuster. His affable personality and believability as an action hero makes him the perfect leading man.
His early movie projects were somewhat unfocused, and it was clear that the industry didn’t know how The Rock could be properly utilized. From cameo parts to leading roles, The Rock evolved throughout the 2000s. He’s settled into a comfortable spot in big-budget spectacle flicks, but there’s still a lot of diversity in his filmography. Recent movies like The Smashing Machine prove that Rocky can do it all.
For all the completed projects starring The Rock, there have also been a fair number of ideas that never came to fruition. Many projects get trapped in the development phase, and are never able to graduate to the next step. Even the star power of Dwayne Johnson has proven unable to pull some projects from the fires of “development hell”. There’s one unrealized project that has a particularly interesting story.
Hollywood struggled for decades with adapting video games into movies, and studios have only recently cracked the code. We’re in something of a Golden Age for video game movies, meaning any property could be the next one to hit the big screen. The Rock’s doomed video game adaptation is over 20 years old at this point, but it isn’t too late.
The Rock Was Set To Star In A Spy Hunter Movie
Perhaps the Spy Hunter game series isn’t the most obvious choice for a big screen adaptation, but that’s exactly what was planned back in the early 2000s. The gaming series started in 1983 as Midway’s attempt to make a licensed James Bond arcade game, but the studio was unable to secure the rights. Therefore, the top-down vehicle shooter created its own story and lore. Several sequels and console ports followed in the ensuing decades.
As part of Dwayne Johnson’s big push into leading roles, he was tapped to play Agent Alex Decker of the International Espionage Service in a Spy Hunter movie. The project went through a slew of screenwriters and directors, and the legendary John Woo was even attached to helm the film at one point. The movie spun its wheels for years, and 2015 was the last time any updates surfaced. It’s safe to say that the Spy Hunter movie isn’t happening.
The Movie’s Tie-In Game Was Still Released
The Rock’s Spy Hunter movie wasn’t just some half-baked idea, and there was even a tie-in video game planned to release alongside the film. Even as the movie stalled, SpyHunter: Nowhere to Run continued to take shape with Johnson in the lead role. The Rock did motion capture for the game, and lent his likeness to Agent Decker. Several years after the movie went into development, Nowhere to Run was released on PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC in 2006.
For the first time in the Spy Hunter game series, Nowhere to Run allowed players to exit their vehicles and embark on traditional third-person missions on foot. This let the developers tell a much larger story, rewriting the franchise’s lore to align with plans for the movie. Unfortunately, the orphaned movie tie-in game got lackluster reviews and was generally received quite poorly. It’s one of the few movie tie-ins released without an actual movie to advertise.
Why A Spy Hunter Movie Could Still Work
Despite sitting on the shelf for years, a Spy Hunter movie could still be a viable project if handled correctly. The Rock could easily return to play the role of Agent Decker, especially if he’s allowed to be his usual affable self. All a video game movie really needs is a great script, and the Spy Hunter movie has a lot to work with. It could opt for straightforward action, or act as something of a parody.
With all eyes on the James Bond franchise’s next move, the Spy Hunter movie could be a quasi-spoof of the beloved series. Tongue-in-cheek laughs and bona fide action excitement is a combination that works quite well in modern cinema, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a master of both. Even if Spy Hunter isn’t a recognizable I.P. for most modern audience members, The Rock’s starpower alone is enough to elevate the classic series.
Sources: Deadline, Like Totally ’80s
- Birthdate
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May 2, 1972
- Birthplace
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Hayward, California, U.S.A
- Occupation(s)
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Actor, Producer, and Professional Wrestler
- First On-Screen Role
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That ’70s Show (1999)
- Current Spouse
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Lauren Hashian
