It’s a brutal Hollywood truth that not all action heroes are created equal. Consider Gerard Butler, who parlayed his moneymaking turn in 300 into a starring role in the upcoming Escape from New York remake. Meanwhile, Variety reports that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be starring in another Escape — specifically, a sequel to Escape to Witch Mountain.
The 1975 original, adapted from the Alexander Key novel, revolved around a pair of orphans with psychic powers who are, for a variety of reasons, trying to reach Witch Mountain. The Disney production bleached much of Key’s darkness and cynicism from the story, and performed well enough at the box office to justify a sequel, 1978’s Return from Witch Mountain. (And don’t forget 1982’s made-for-TV Beyond Witch Mountain…no matter how much Disney wants you to.)
In the new Witch Mountain, which is being directed by Andy Fickman, The Rock will reunite with his Game Plan director to play a cab driver who crosses paths with the kids. Presumably, plenty of wacky hijinks ensue; we fully expect at least one spit take and/or dramatically raised eyebrow. The article doesn’t mention a release date for the project, and we’re totally okay with that.
Source: Variety
