14 DAY TRIAL // He can do comedy, more serious films and, last but not least, he can do action movies. Though he's good at all three genres, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has always had a soft spot for action films but, this time, he's verging towards dark comedy.
Variety reports that famous director Michael Bay is working on a movie inspired from a true story, as reports of how he's considering doing a fourth “Transformers” flick are picking up speed.
“Pain and Gain” tells the story of two steroid-abusing bodybuilders who get caught in a world of crime where neither do they belong, nor do they want to be.
According to the aforementioned movie-oriented publication, Bay initially wanted two men for the part: Mark Wahlberg and The Rock.
Unfortunately, the former has already dropped out of negotiations because of an already packed filming schedule.
“After a decade in development, Michael Bay's 'Pain and Gain,' a low-budget (by his standards) dark comedy about bodybuilders, is finally moving forward, as Dwayne Johnson is in early talks to topline the long-gestating pic,” Variety reports.
While Mark Wahlberg has already dropped out of the project, Johnson is still in talks with the successful and sometimes controversial filmmaker.
“Based on a Miami New Times article from 1999, 'Pain and Gain' will follow a pair of Florida bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong,” Variety says of the synopsis.
Most other details pertaining to production have already been taken care, even though the project is yet to be greenlit.
“'Captain America' scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote the original script and have compared its tone to the Coen brothers' 'Fargo,' which was also based on a true crime story,” Variety notes.
Produced by Michael Bay and Donald De Line, “Pain and Gain” has a working budget of just $20 million (€14.9 million), which is small potatoes to the budget Bay had for any of the three “Transformers” film.
A release date for the film hasn't been announced yet – and neither will it be until all the details are ironed out.