Dwayne Johnson offers to give "Protection"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Dwayne Johnson ("Race to Witch Mountain," "Tooth Fairy") is set to star in the leading role in Mayhem Pictures' indie action thriller "Protection."

Simon West ("Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "When a Stranger Calls") will direct the $35 million budget movie from the script written by Brandon Noonan.

Movie follows a mercenary Mexico City security operative forced to smuggle the daughter of a threatened high-ranking judge and the judge's chief legal counsel across the border while being pursued by corrupt cops, drug lords and white-collar U.S. criminal forces.

Stuart Ford and Robert Lawrence, IM Global Founder and CEO, will co-produce with Mayhem Pictures' Gordon Gray and Mark Ciardi. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones will executive produce.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this fall in New Mexico.