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The Rise And Fall Of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Box Office Viagra
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the most popular celebrities in the world, but his box office charm seems to be wearing off – if he ever had it in the first place. Johnson rose to fame in professional wrestling as “The Rock” before turning to Hollywood where he was cast in a number of box office hits; however, his more recent movies have raised eyebrows after a few high-profile box office flops like Black Adam and Jungle Cruise. Black Adam’s box office was especially concerning, alongside DC League of Super-Pets because it was an failed attempt by Johnson to become the face of a larger brand.
After his public feud with Vin Diesel and departure from the Fast and Furious franchise, Johnson starred in a number of movies with varying degrees of box office success, but now that The Rock is returning to Fast and Furious for Fast X teasing a role in part 2 (and presumably part 3, or however they’re titled since it’s now a trilogy conclusion), it feels like he’s admitting defeat since his solo movies didn’t perform as well. Has Johnson lost his power as a box office draw? Taking a look Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s full filmography shows the both the rise and fall of his box office status and where it came from.
Dwayne Johnson’s Acting Debut in The Mummy Was a Box Office Hit
After making a name for himself in wrestling with The Rock persona, Johnson’s first movie role was the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns in 2001. The Mummy was a big hit in 1999 featuring Brandon Fraser at the top of his career in addition to groundbreaking VFX, bringing in $415.9 million at the worldwide box office, so there were high expectations for The Mummy Returns. While it wasn’t as well reviewed, The Mummy Returns upped the ante with an even bigger budget, bigger CGI battles, and the addition of The Rock as the Scorpion King, pushing the box office to $435 million globally.
Following the success of The Mummy Returns, Johnson’s second role – and first starring role – was a Mummy Returns spin-off, The Scorpion King, in 2002. While The Scorpion King scored a 41 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (after The Mummy’s 60 percent and The Mummy Returns’ 46 percent) and earned $165.9 million worldwide. Its box office was a big drop from The Mummy Returns, but as a spin-off with a much lower budget, it was still a modest success, especially for Johnson’s first lead role. The success of The Scorpion King led to four additional straight-to-video sequels, although Johnson wasn’t involved beyond the first Scorpion King.
The Rock’s Kids & Family Movies Were His Biggest 2010s Hits After The Mummy Returns
Following his success in The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King, Johnson had a number of smaller movies, most of which flopped at the box office. The Rundown earned $80.8 million in 2003, Walking Tall earned $47.9 million in 2004, Be Cool earned $94.9 in 2005, Doom (a movie that was expected to prove The Rock’s viability as an action star) bombed with $58.8 million in 2005, and Gridiron Gang earned $41.5 in 2006. While those movies had low or mid-range budgets, none of them recouped their costs using the traditional 2.5x production budget break-even rule of thumb.
Johnson had much more success with kids & family movies. In 2007, The Game Plan earned $146.6 million, in 2009 Race to Witch Mountain earned $105.1 million, and in 2010 The Tooth Fairy earned $112.6 million. His biggest hit in that period was Get Smart, which earned $226.7 million in 2008, although he was merely a supporting role to Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway. Despite his wrestling background and imposing physique, he had trouble finding new success in the action genre in the 2010s. Even after his stretch of kids’ movies, Johnson had another action flop with Faster in 2009, earning just $35.8 million.
Fast Five Changed Everything For Both Dwayne Johnson And The Fast and The Furious Franchise
The Rock’s 2010s movies were mostly hit-and-miss at the box office, his career saw a major boost after his debut as Hobbs in Fast Five. Prior to Fast Five, Johnson’s average box office through 17 movies was $112.6 million, but after Fast Five, his average skyrocketed to $446 million for the next 25 movies. To be fair, he had several hits prior to Fast Five as mentioned with his debut as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns, but there was no residual impact from The Mummy Returns’ box office on his next movies, while Fast Five gave a very clear and immediate surge in his box office draw.
The clearest sign of Johnson’s career boost following Fast Five’s release in 2011 can be seen in another kids & family movie, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in 2012. His previous kids’ movies averaged around $140 million, but Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (ironically another sequel to a box office success starring Brandon Fraser), which earned $318.1, more than double his kids & family movie box office average pre-Fast Five. It wasn’t just his kids & family movies that saw a box office boost, though. Fast Five finally proved his value to action franchises, making him a valuable addition to ensemble casts.
The Rock’s Biggest Hits Have All Been Fast and Furious or Other Ensemble Movies
Despite the massive box office boost to his post-Fast Five career, Johnson’s highest-grossing movies are all either his appearances as Hobbs in more Fast and Furious sequels or ensemble movies with other bankable stars. His highest-grossing movies are 2015’s Furious 7 with $1.5 billion worldwide, 2017’s Fate of the Furious with $1.2 billion, 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with $961.6 million, 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level with $798.2 million, 2013’s Fast and Furious 6 with $789.3 million, 2019’s Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw with $760.7 million, 2016’s Moana with $630.6 million, and 2011’s Fast Five with $630 million.
There’s nothing wrong with his biggest roles coming from ensembles. It should actually be expected, as with franchises like the MCU, it’s normal for team-up movies to make more than solo movies; however, this doesn’t fit with the brand of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a bankable movie star in his own right, and may have had something to do with him distancing himself from the Fast and Furious franchise for a period of time. On the flip side, his return to the franchise coming after a few box office bombs suggests he recognizes the boost he gets from big ensemble casts.
The Rock’s Biggest Solo Movies Haven’t Been Big Enough Box Office Hits
That’s not to say Johnson isn’t a bankable star. San Andreas, a movie sold entirely on his name and face, earned $456.3 million globally with modest hits from other starring roles like Skyscraper’s $304.9 million or Hercules’ $243.4 million. Even Black Adam’s $391.3 million would be a big hit if it weren’t for the movie’s massive budget and repeated boastful claims that “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change.” His big solo hits are comparable in box office to many MCU solo movies, but never quite on the level of Robert Downey Jr.’s solo success with Iron Man 3’s $1.2 billion.
The biggest problem with his starring roles is that, despite their success, none of them were super hits or big enough to create demand for a franchise. Another problem is the high-profile box office flops like Baywatch and Jungle Cruise that prove his name alone isn’t enough to draw a crowd. Ironically, his biggest hit without an ensemble is Hobbs & Shaw, but that’s both a Fast and Furious spin-off and also saw a box office drop compared to previous Fast and Furious movies, which doesn’t help sell the idea that Johnson can carry a franchise on his own apart from the rest of the Fast and Furious cast.
Dwayne Johnson’s Box Office Magic Didn’t Meet the Hype
Ironically, the biggest problem with The Rock’s box office on his starring roles isn’t his ability to sell tickets – it’s his ability to sell tickets to match his own hype. Coming up in professional wrestling, the public image of a performer is innately tied to their character’s persona. While Johnson has sidelined The Rock persona in favor of “Dwayne Johnson,” the expectations are still there. His filmography and box office are more than sufficient to make him one of the biggest stars in the world, but they don’t quite support the unstoppable brand image of “Dwayne Johnson” established in interviews and on social media.
Ironically, The Rock’s career would look a lot more like Vin Diesel’s if he hadn’t built a big movie star image. Diesel is known for iconic roles in smaller roles like Riddick and Xander Cage, and even The Fast and the Furious started out the same way before the franchise exploded at the box office with Fast Five. Like Johnson, Diesel’s biggest hits are ensemble movies like Fast and Furious and Guardians of the Galaxy while his solo movies are all modest low-budget hits. The difference is Diesel doesn’t project the same movie star persona, so even smaller Vin Diesel roles like Riddick, Xander Cage, or Bloodshot don’t look so humbling.
The big difference, of course, is Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto is at the head of the Fast and Furious movies, and Johnson could never usurp that role with Hobbs. Hobbs and Shaw could have given him similar footing to Diesel in the franchise if it had been a bigger hit, but Johnson’s participation in the Fast and Furious movies requires Hobbs to play eternal second fiddle (at best) to Diesel’s Dom. Black Adam was the big gamble for Johnson. If it had been a huge hit and truly changed “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe,” he would command far more star power at the head of a franchise, but instead he has to return to Fast and Furious.
The Rock is Admitting Defeat By Returning to the Fast and Furious Franchise
Prior to Fast Five, the highest-grossing movie in the franchise was Fast and Furious at $360.4 million. Fast Five made $626.1 million, supercharging the franchise at the box office, so it’s easy to make an argument that Johnson’s addition was the reason for the box office growth. While that may be partially true, Johnson owes just as much credit to Fast Five for the growth in his own career. The clear demarcation in his box office draw before and after Fast Five proves its role in making him the star he is now, but his solo box office apart from Fast and Furious also proves his dependence on the franchise.
Related: The Rock’s Fast & Furious Return: 10 Biggest Implications & Changes
The fact that the massive boost correlated with the introduction of Hobbs shouldn’t be dismissed as Johnson is one of the strongest additions to the franchise, and Fast 9 was lacking without him. Just like with Vin Diesel, who’s a huge box office draw in the Fast and Furious franchise, but can’t match that box office on his own, Johnson struggles to find the same box office success part from Fast and Furious movies, and his return to the franchise for the Fast X sequel(s) after his public feud with Vin Diesel is a tacit acknowledgment that he can’t see the same box office success in his solo projects.
While the context of Johnson and Diesel’s feud and Black Adam flopping prior to his Fast and Furious return may make it look like a loss for Johnson, the franchise is at its best critically and financially when he’s a part of it, proving his value to the Fast and Furious movies, to Diesel, and to the audience. While the reality of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s box office impact may not always match his hype, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still one of the world’s biggest celebrities and will continue selling tickets as a part of the Fast and Furious franchise and on his own projects for years to come.
Key Release Dates 
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Fast & Furious 11 Release Delay & Filming Start Date Confirmed By Director
Summary
Fast and Furious 11
is facing a release date delay to Summer 2026 due to strikes, with director Louis Leterrier confirming the sequel will not be hitting its April 4, 2025 date.
Leterrier also confirms that filming starts in Fall 2025 after finishing a horror movie in September.
The final installment in the
Fast Saga
reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto for one last ride, while also leaving the door open for other spinoffs.
After facing multiple delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, Fast and Furious 11 is seeing its release date delayed. The next installment in the Vin Diesel-fronted franchise is expected to be the last mainline sequel, while development continues on the Dwayne Johnson-led spinoff Hobbs & Reyes, a mysterious standalone movie penned by Fast X’s Zach Dean and a potential female-led spinoff. While a filming start date was never confirmed, Universal had previously set the movie for an April 2025 release date.
During a recent interview with Collider at a CCXP MX panel, Louis Leterrier was asked for an update on Fast and Furious 11. The director went on to confirm that the final mainline installment in the action franchise will no longer be making its April 4, 2025 release date, instead now aiming for a Summer 2026 release window with the filming start date being set for this fall. Check out what Leterrier said below:
It’s happening. It’s happening very, very soon. I’m able to shoot a little horror movie this summer. I’m finishing my horror movie on September 15th, and I start Fast on September 16th.
Will Fast 11’s Multiple Delays Help Or Hurt The Sequel?
Much like the tenth film before it, Fast and Furious 11 has faced a few behind-the-scenes hardships in its road to getting off the ground, namely the delays stemming from the 2023 strikes. While the latest movie seems to have retained its core creative team in comparison to the shift in directors from franchise vet Justin Lin to Leterrier on Fast X after reported creative differences between the former and Diesel, this change didn’t seem to help much with the continued downward trend recent sequels have seen from critics. Check out how the franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores compare below:
Title RT Critical Score RT Audience Score The Fast and the Furious 54% 74% 2 Fast 2 Furious 37% 50% The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 37% 69% Fast & Furious 28% 67% Fast Five 78% 83% Fast & Furious 6 71% 84% Furious 7 81% 82% The Fate of the Furious 67% 72% Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw 67% 88% F9: The Fast Saga 59% 82% Fast X 56% 84%
Even looking outside the Fast and Furious franchise, many movie sequels have found themselves hurt by various delays, be they from creative changes, general release shifts or other factors. The action genre in particular is one in which lengthier development periods can lead to diminishing returns, be it A Good Day to Die Hard, Rambo: Last Blood or Diesel’s own xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. While Fast and Furious 11 may only be getting pushed back by a year, the delay is nonetheless a concern that the final installment could find itself in trouble.
On the other hand, the longer wait for Fast and Furious 11 to close out the mainline series of movies could actually prove beneficial for the sequel. Though Leterrier may be busy with another project in the lead-up to filming the next installment, writers Oren Uziel and Christina Hodson should now have more than enough time to really look back at the script and ensure it learns from the critical missteps of recent installments to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the Dominic Toretto saga.
Source: Collider
Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel
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Vin Diesel Already Has His Perfect Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise With 51-Year-Old Remake
Summary
Vin Diesel’s dominance in Fast & Furious is ending, but Kojak could kick off a new action franchise for him.
Kojak’s reboot faces an uncertain future, but its similarity to Fast & Furious makes it a worthy project for Diesel.
Diesel’s potential shift from criminal racer to cop signifies a fresh start in a possible Fast & Furious-like series.
Vin Diesel’s days of playing Dominic Toretto are numbered, but the actor has already found his perfect Fast & Furious replacement. Diesel found a major breakout role in the early 2000s thanks to participating in The Fast and the Furious. The original 2001 street racing crime movie became the springboard for a sprawling franchise that has lasted for over two decades. The success of the Fast & Furious movies transformed Vin Diesel’s career, turning him into an even bigger star, especially in the action movie genre. But, Fast & Furious 11 is planned as the final chapter for him and the franchise.
The Fast & Furious franchise’s end will put Vin Diesel in an unfamiliar position of not having a major franchise to lean back on. This presents the actor with various options, such as changing the course of his career to pursue non-franchise roles. However, the more likely outcome is that Diesel will attempt to find a new IP that can replace Fast & Furious. He has had trouble in that regard recently, with franchises like xXx or Riddick running cold and Bloodshot and The Last Witch Hunter failing to launch franchises. There is another option for Diesel, though.
2:03 
Kojak Can Be Vin Diesel’s New Action Crime Franchise After Fast & Furious
Diesel Has Been Developing The Reboot Since 2015
The impending conclusion of the Fast & Furious franchise means it is finally time for Vin Diesel’s Kojak reboot to get off the ground. The project was announced back in 2015 with Diesel re-teaming with Universal Pictures, the studio behind Fast & Furious, to develop a movie based on Kojak. The original TV series starred Telly Savalas as Theo Kokaj and ran for three seasons after debuting in 1973. The series revolves around Kojak, a New York detective known for being willing to go beyond the law and a love for cars and lollipops, and follows him as he investigates different cases.
Kojak was rebooted in 2005 as a TV show starring Ving Rhames, but it only ran for six episodes
Development on Vin Diesel’s Kojak movie has not been very active in the nine years since it was announced. However, it still maintains the base similarities to Fast & Furious, which makes the project a worthwhile endeavor for Diesel in terms of finding a new action franchise. He would now have another big action series about cars and crime, essentially making Kojak into a newer version of Fast & Furious. The irony here is that Diesel takes on the role of a cop after playing criminal racer Dominic Toretto.
Vin Diesel’s Involvement Can Morph Kojak Into A Major Action Franchise
Kojak Could Be A Fast & Furious Clone
Looking at the original TV show, Kojak might not necessarily project to be a major blockbuster action franchise akin to Fast & Furious. The TV series was relatively grounded and small due to the nature of its production. However, the fact that Diesel and Universal pinpointed this property as something they wanted to revive together is telling. The announcement of Kojak’s reboot came months after Furious 7 debuted in theaters and took the franchise to new heights at the box office and in terms of how ridiculously big the action and story could get.
It’s sometimes difficult to remember that Fast & Furious started off with a story about DVD thieves who were also street racers before Diesel helped turn it into something much bigger. With that experience and success already behind him, it would be understandable if a similar path was envisioned for Kojak. The series could then morph into a Fast & Furious clone, one that gives Vin Diesel a new franchise to headline and Universal a “fresh” action franchise to grow.
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The Rock’s WWE Run Means Fast & Furious 11 Must Make 1 Major Hobbs Change
Summary
Hobbs from Fast & Furious 11 needs a gritty edge like The Rock’s WWE character to keep the franchise fresh and exciting.
The Rock’s time away from the Fast & Furious universe provides the perfect reason for Hobbs to return with a personal vendetta and a more savage attitude.
While Hobbs shouldn’t become a full-fledged villain in Fast & Furious 11, adding some edginess and dirty tricks could make his character more intriguing and dynamic.
Fast & Furious 11 must make one major Hobbs change after The Rock’s incredible WWE run. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WWE return surpassed his recent movies, with the actor creating some of the best work of his career. Having returned to a thunderous reception, The Rock was able to flip the crowd’s reception by becoming a heel and playing a major part in WrestleMania’s main events. The Rock hasn’t played a villain on screen for years, as even his depiction of Black Adam lent more into the character’s anti-hero side, which made his wrestling run all the more refreshing.
While his wrestling character may not perfectly translate into the Fast & Furious universe, there is one aspect of The Rock’s WWE run that the franchise should attempt to implement. After debuting in Fast Five, The Rock’s best Fast & Furious scenes helped contribute to the movie series becoming so popular, with Luke Hobbs becoming an instrumental part of the story. He was even given his own spinoff alongside Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and is set to get a solo movie in the future. Despite this, Hobbs would still benefit from adding one key aspect of The Rock’s WWE run.
The Rock’s WWE Run Proves Fast & Furious 11 Needs To Give Hobbs More Of An Edge
Fast & Furious Would Benefit From Hobbs Adopting Some Of The Rock’s WWE Tendancies
Given how electrifying The Rock’s recent WWE run was, there is no doubt Fast & Furious 11 needs to give Hobbs more of an edge. Although the character has had his more serious moments, like most of the Fast & Furious cast, Hobbs tends to mix action with comedy. Hobbs and Shaw are supposed to be two of the more stoic heroes, yet they are constantly at each other’s throats and cracking jokes to help maintain the franchise’s lighthearted core. However, giving Hobbs a grittier side would help the character thrive upon his return.
The Rock’s Fast & Furious return may redeem Fast X’s box office, but the character needs to come back stronger than ever. By allowing him to be more ruthless, he can still maintain some elements of comedy but also become more interesting in the process. Johnson proved that despite being a detestable heel, he was still as hilarious as ever during his recent WWE tenure. This proves that he can maintain Fast & Furious’ tone and humorous style while being more layered; therefore, Hobbs adopting some of The Rock’s WWE characteristics could make him even more entertaining.
Fast & Furious Already Has A Reason For Hobbs To Be More Savage
Hobbs Has Been Away From The Franchise For Several Years
Making a major change to Hobbs’ character could be tough to explain, but Fast & Furious 11 already has a great reason to make him more savage. His four-year absence from the franchise gives him a perfect excuse to come back with a vengeance and potentially have a personal attachment to Fast & Furious 11’s villains. Hobbs’ time away from the main story could be explained through a connection to Fast X’s secondary villain, Aimes. Aimes’ villain twist in Fast X was well executed and suggests he’ll be around for the sequel, which is the perfect reason to bring back Hobbs.
Having a more personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, but it would also give him more of an edge.
Fast X never explained why he’s back, but having a personal vendetta against Aimes could be an intriguing reason. Given Dom and Dante are the focal point of the franchise’s conclusion, Hobbs returning to take down Aimes would avoid overshadowing the main story while still giving him an interesting role. Having a personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, while also giving him more of an edge. This provides The Rock with the perfect reason to implement some of his heel traits while still portraying a morally good hero.
2:34 
Related Predicting The Ending Of All 13 Fast & Furious Characters In Fast 11 The Fast Saga is set to conclude with Fast & Furious 11 – or Fast X 2 – but how will Dom Toretto and his family’s stories come to a definitive end?
Why Fast & Furious Can’t Bring The Rock Back As A Villain
Hobbs Already Appeared As An Antagonist In Fast Five
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury
Although The Rock’s villainous tendencies worked well in the WWE, Fast & Furious can’t bring him back as an antagonist. Johnson already played the main villain of Fast Five, as Hobbs was originally an enemy of Dom and his crew before becoming an ally. Hobbs’ role in Fast Five was one of his best, but despite being the main antagonist, he always had a level of integrity. Dropping all of this to make him a villain in the final movie would be completely unnecessary, especially as the franchise needs him to remain a hero for his spinoff.
Fast & Furious 11 may end the main story, but The Rock will be part of the franchise beyond this, and altering his character so drastically wouldn’t make any sense. Instead, adding some extra edge to his character would have the same effect and would avoid stealing the thunder from Dante and Aimes. Although Fast & Furious 11 shouldn’t make him a villain, the film can still allow Hobbs to play dirty and pull some cheap tricks in order to show a grittier side, while letting him taunt his enemies when he inevitably helps save the day.
Fast & Furious 11
is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 4, 2025.
Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel
Fast & Furious 11 Release Delay & Filming Start Date Confirmed By Director
Vin Diesel Already Has His Perfect Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise With 51-Year-Old Remake
The Rock’s WWE Run Means Fast & Furious 11 Must Make 1 Major Hobbs Change
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