American actor Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has reportedly halted production on the upcoming action film A Redprompting surprised reactions from online commenters.
A serial entrepreneur who describes himself as “the hardest worker in the room,” Johnson has cultivated a solid reputation as a dedicated performer; he's the perfect heel in the wrestling ring and a likeable and formidable hero in many major film franchises.
Johnson's alleged behavior on the set of A Redhowever, it contrasts with its stellar reputation.
What happened on the set of 'Red One' with Dwayne Johnson?
According to a new report from TheWrap, Johnson was often several hours late to the set of red, had the crew trying to work around it. Three anonymous insiders cited in the report claim that the actions of the Jumanji have contributed to a $50 million increase in the film's budget.
A Red pundits had strong words for Johnson's behavior: one said that “chronically being late” was Johnson's only consistency.
The comments in the report took the Internet by surprise.
One eyebrow-raising claim stood out from the report: An insider who said he knows Johnson alleges that the star “pees in a Voss water bottle” while shooting previous movies, and he added, “his team or a PA must have it.”
The detail sparked jokes, memes and bemused reactions online.
The water bottle story has previously been mentioned by Johnson himself, who framed his unusual habit in a more positive light.
“I usually stay pretty hydrated,” Johnson told Esquire. “I need to go to the bathroom a lot. Not a lot, but probably a couple of times during every workout I have to go to the bathroom. So I break the bottle.”
The Wrap also cited insiders who previously worked with Johnson Rampage, HBO dancers, and those of Netflix red warning – many alleged that Johnson's chronic tardiness affected production.
One insider condemned Johnson's “refusal to work more than a four- or five-hour day,” and another suggested his tardiness was “a control thing.”
Commentators were darkly amused for a dancers crew member who claimed that Johnson's late arrival qualified them for health insurance, due to the increased time spent on set.
The claims were disputed by other sources close to the production of A Redwho told The Wrap that Johnson, on average, was no more than an hour late to ride.
Another source close to Amazon MGM suggested that the increase in the film's budget was not unusual, stating: “It is completely normal for budget fluctuations within 15% of the target, which is exactly what we to experience”.
For Amazon, A Red marks the beginning of a possible franchise. The film is intended to be a Christmas action comedy from Jake Kasdan, who directed Johnson in two blockbusters: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle i The Next Level.
A Red also features a star-studded cast, featuring Lucy Liu, JK Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Nick Kroll, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Wesley Kimmel and Kristofer Hivju.
A spokesperson for Amazon MGM strongly denied the claims made against Johnson in a statement sent to The Wrap:
“Dwayne Johnson and Seven Bucks have been incredible partners A Red … we couldn't have done it without Dwayne's constant work and support. Any allegation that we got to this point with him arriving seven-eight hours late to set up is both ridiculous and false.”
