Dwayne Johnson, who is developing the film adaptation of the one-legged wrestler's 2012 memoir 'Unstoppable', welcomes Jason Hall to the team by gushing, 'This story is in his DNA.'
- March 13, 2020
AceShowbiz - "American Sniper" screenwriter Jason Hall has been tapped to direct Dwayne Johnson's new biopic about one-legged fighter Anthony Robles.
Johnson, who used to wrestle as The Rock, announced in November (2019) that he was developing the project, adapted from Robles' 2012 memoir, "Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion".
Now he has recruited Hall to take charge of the movie, which was originally penned by John Hindman, and chronicles how Robles, who was born with only one leg, overcame a series of obstacles to become an undefeated National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) wrestling star and a National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee.
Oscar nominee Hall, who made his directorial debut with Miles Teller's 2017 war drama "Thank You for Your Service", will also revamp Hindman's script before production begins, reports Deadline.
"I grew up wrestling, and I remember tuning into the 2011 NCAA wrestling finals and getting goosebumps as I watched this kid vault out of the tunnel on crutches, toss them down, take the mat and dismantle the reigning national champ," Hall shared in a statement.
"As miraculous an achievement as that was, the personal obstacles he faced off-the-mat were even more challenging. This is a tale of determination, perseverance, and sacrifice and I'm honored to be telling the Robles' story at a time when the world is so desperately in need of real heroes."
Welcoming Hall to the team, Johnson took to Twitter on Thursday, March 12 and wrote, "Let's get to work."
"After his Oscar nod for writing, American Sniper, Jason is ready and focused to write and direct Unstoppable for us. This story is in his dna. @ARobles125."
Johnson will produce the film with his ex-wife and business partner, Dany Garcia, for their Seven Bucks Productions firm.
