Another in a series looking at the symbiotic nature of Hollywood and pro wrestling, this time we look at the 16-year film career of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. While still an active wrestler with the WWE, The Rock made his feature film debut in a flashback sequence in 2001’s The Mummy Returns as The Scorpion King, which resulted in his own spin-off film the following year bearing his character’s name. It’s been an uphill ride for Dwayne Johnson ever since, so much so that he left the pro wrestling world full time forever in 2004 to pursue the bright lights, big city of Hollywood. Today he’s the 2nd highest paid actor in the world, earning a staggering $64 million dollars per film (he was recently passed by his Pain & Gain co-star Mark Wahlberg).
But just how impressive is The Rock’s resume? Here’s a quick rundown (no pun intended) of Dwayne Johnson’s film career and what’s worked – and what hasn’t.
Highest Grossing Film as Principle Lead Actor
It should come as no surprise that Johnson’s highest grossing films are the ones attached to Vin Diesel‘s franchise, Fast & Furious. While Johnson admirably walked into a co-starring role in the series with Fast 5 (2011), it was always a successful franchise. Johnson’s star power was a huge boost, no question, but the series had a life of it’s own before he joined. If we exclude last year’s Disney smash Moana (Disney is a hype machine no matter who voices their films), the most successful film of his career that relied solely on his star power to lead it was 2015’s San Andreas. The earthquake disaster film raked in nearly $475 million, making it his highest grossing lead film of his career.
Highest Rated Film on Rotten Tomatoes
Using the same principle as the previous section – not including Fast & Furious films or Disney films – his highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is actually his first true leading role. Sure he’d been in the Mummy series, first in a small part in 2001’s The Mummy Returns, then leading it’s spinoff, The Scorpion King, but the latter film still had it’s own legs without The Rock joining it’s cast. But 2005’s The Rundown, that also featured comedy star Seann William Scott, the always great Rosario Dawson and the cool-as-hell Christopher Walken is rated at 70%, Johnson’s highest rated film. The Kevin Hart buddy comedy Central Intelligence scored 69% and 2014’s Hercules got 60%. Probably not the top three you’d be expecting (in comparison, his highest grossing leading role, San Andreas, scored 49%).
He’s Had Hit And Miss With Animated Films
His role as Maiu in the 2016 Disney sensation Moana is Johnson’s 4th highest grossing feature and his highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes (96%). It was a huge success, thanks in huge part to the Disney hype machine and legacy. But his previous venture into voicing an animated film didn’t fair so well. Although it’s done better in home viewing circles, 2009’s Planet 51, about an astronaut from Earth (voiced by Johnson) who lands on a civilized alien world, just squeaked past the $100 million plateau and has a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. No wonder it took him a few years to be talked back into it.
Baywatch Made Have Been A Bomb, But He’s Had Much Worse
His latest film this year, the remake of the 90’s TV show Baywatch, was a critical disaster (18% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a box office dud. But it was still his 13th highest grossing film of his 29 film career. It pulled in more money worldwide than more adored cult faves like The Rundown, Walking Tall, Faster and Pain & Gain.
The Rock Doesn’t Do Art Films
Probably because his only foray into the world of independent cinema was an absolute bomb. In 2006, he starred in Southland Tales, a film by writer/director Richard Kelly (best known for his cult classic Donnie Darko). It premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, where it was brutalized in the reviews, but the re-edits didn’t help the mess. While it didn’t get the widespread release as every other film to bear his name in the credits, it only grossed $345,000 and has a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
If You Smellllllllllllll What The Rock Is Filming
Don’t worry if you’re already jonesing for a Rock fix – he’s got one in the can already (Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, which is released this December) and another in post-production (Rampage, based on the 80’s video game of huge building shattering monsters). He’s also pegged to play Shazam’s nemesis, Black Adam, in an upcoming DC Comics adaption, Doc Savage (another comic hero), filling Kurt Russell‘s shoes in the upcoming remake of Big Trouble in Little China, plus Journey 3, Fast & Furious 9, not to mention his next Disney film, Jungle Cruise, based on another of the theme park’s rides. It’s safe to say that while what he may lack in quality, he makes up in quantity.
Complete List of Dwayne Johnson’s films in order of total worldwide gross (followed by current Rotten Tomatoes rating; * denotes he’s a minor character, not the lead; ** indicates he’s the vocal actor in a lead character)
- Furious 7 (2015), $1,516,045,911, 80%
- Fate of the Furious (2016), $1,238,764,765, 66%
- Fast & Furious 6 (2013), $788,679,850, 69%
- Moana (2016), $643,023,459**, 96%
- Fast Five (2011), $626,137,675, 77%
- San Andreas (2015), $473,990,832, 49%
- The Mummy Returns (2001) $433,013,274*, 47%
- GI Joe: Retaliation (2013), $375,740,705, 29%
- Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012), $335,260,290, 43%
- Hercules (2014), $244,819,862, 60%
- Get Smart (2008), $130,319,208*, 51%
- Central Intelligence (2016), $216,972,543, 69%
- Baywatch (2017), $177,856,751, 18%
- The Other Guys (2010), $170,432,927*, 73%
- The Scorpion King (2002), $165,333,180, 41%
- The Game Plan (2007), $147,880,543, 29%
- Tooth Fairy (2010), $112,462,508, 18%
- Race to Witch Mountain (2009), $102,387,141, 43%
- Planet 51 (2009), $105,647,102**, 21%
- Be Cool (2005), $95,226,116, 30%
- Pain & Gain (2013), $86,175,291, 50%
- The Rundown (2003), $80,916,492, 70%
- Walking Tall (2004), $57,223,890, 26%
- Doom (2005), $55,987,321, 19%
- Snitch (2013), $42,930,462, 56%
- Gridiron Gang (2006), $41,480,851, 42%
- Faster (2010), $35,626,958, 43%
- Reno 911: Miami (2006), $22,021,262*, 34%
- Southland Tales (2007), $374,743, 38%
What’s your favourite Dwayne Johnson film? Let us know in the comments below!
