Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt to Reteam for Superhero Movie ‘Ball and Chain’

After partnering on Disney’s The Jungle Cruise, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt will reteam for a new movie from The Big Sick co-writer Emily V. Gordon.

The duo are attached to star in Ball and Chain, an adaptation of the ’90s comic of the same name by Scott Lobdell, which Gordon will adapt. The project is being described as a superhero story meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith, where a couple struggling in their marriage are equipped with superpowers. However, their powers only work when they’re together.

The high-profile package was shopped around with interest from multiple studios, but is looking likely to land at Netflix. Still, no deals are done.

Johnson will produce under his Seven Bucks banner with Dany and Hiram Garcia. Kevin Misher, who worked with Johnson and Seven Bucks on Fighting With My Family, will also produce, along with Blunt.

The comic hailed from comics scribe Scott Lobdell with art by Ale Garza and was published in the late 1990s. It was twice before in development as a series, the last time in 2010 at Syfy.

Blunt and Johnson were set to hit theaters with The Jungle Cruise on July 24, but the release was pushed back a year by Disney due to theater closures amid the coronavirus pandemic. The studio will now open Mulan on July 24.  

Johnson will next be seen in the Netflix action movie Red Notice opposite Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds. He is also set to star in the long-delayed DC feature Black Adam. The actor is repped by WME, TGC Management and Gang Tyre.

Blunt stars in A Quiet Place II, which was pushed to a September release after having to postpone its March theatrical debut due to coronavirus concerns. She is repped by CAA and Sloane Offer.

Gordon, who was Oscar-nominated for The Big Sick‘s screenplay, most recently worked on the Amazon TV+ series Little America. She is repped by UTA and Schreck Rose.

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