(Left) Dwayne Johnson attends the World Premiere of Netflix’s ‘Red Notice’ at Regal LA Live. Photo: Kevin Mazur. (Right) Darren Aronofsky (director, ‘Caught Stealing’) at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.
Preview:
- Director Darren Aronofsky is circling the new thriller ‘Breakthrough’.
- Dwayne Johnson is taking a role in the movie.
- A24 is backing this one.
Earlier this month, the news broke that Dwayne Johnson was looking to add another dark drama to his To Do list, after once again dipping his toe in edgier waters with the upcoming A24 MMA biopic ‘The Smashing Machine.’
Johnson is taking a supporting role in the company’s new thriller ‘Breakthrough.’
“The unforgettable true story of a UFC legend.”
MMA fighter Mark Kerr struggles with addiction, winning and love during his peak era in the UFC. Read the Plot
Now, via Deadline, comes word that Darren Aronofsky, no stranger to such darker fare, is in early conversations to direct it.
Assuming a deal goes through, it would mean a reunion for the filmmaker and the studio, for which he made ‘The Whale’, which saw Brendan Fraser win an Oscar.
Related Article: Dwayne Johnson Will be a Guru in Psychological Thriller ‘Breakthrough’
What’s the story of ‘Breakthrough’?
Dwayne Johnson in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
The new script comes courtesy of up-and-coming talent Zeke Goodman.
Set in turn-of-the-millennium Southern California, the movie follows an alienated young man who comes under the influence of a motivational guru, whose intoxicating charm masks his morally questionable methods of manipulation and his own concealed darkness.
Johnson will play the role of the guru, with casting still underway for the lead role and other characters.
Goodman’s CV includes acting work on series such as ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer,’‘Cruel Intentions’ and ‘The Hunting Party.’ He’s also worked as a writer, director, producer and actor on a number of short films, and will be seen in upcoming mystery comedy movie ‘All That Glisters.’
A24 is financing the movie, while Stacey Sher’s Shiny Penny Productions will produce alongside Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions.
What else has Darren Aronofsky worked on?
Director Darren Aronofsky on the set of ‘The Whale’ from A24.
Aronofsky is known for the likes of ‘Pi’, ‘The Wrestler’, ‘Black Swan’ and ‘Requiem for a Dream,’ as well as the aforementioned ‘The Whale.’
The filmmaker will next release ‘Caught Stealing’, which stars Austin Butler as ex-baseball player Hank Thompson, who unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined.
‘Caught Stealing’ will hit theaters on August 25th.
When will ‘Breakthrough’ be on screens?
Even assuming Aronofsky agrees to direct, it might take a while to come together given the time needed to get the movie into production (and Johnson’s ever-busy schedule, though his taking a supporting role and not the lead will likely help with that).
A24 hasn’t yet slotted this one on its schedule.
Dwayne Johnson in ‘The Smashing Machine’. Photo: A24.