Rumor Has It: The Rock To Miss Wrestlemania 30

[Bob-O]

Source: examiner.com

Examiner exclusively learned Friday that there's a very good reason why Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson might not be competing at WrestleMania 30 next April in New Orleans. He could very well be doing battle with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the set of Terminator 5.

Two years ago, film producer Megan Ellison - the daughter and heiress to Oracle founder Larry Ellison - secured the rights to the Terminator franchise for her Annapurna Films production company. Having reportedly snagged franchise rights away from Lionsgate, which wanted the screen rights to both Terminator 5 and Terminator 6, Ellison was determined to create the biggest Terminator films ever made. As it turns out, however, Ellison needs to act soon before her rights to the Terminator brand expire.

With Arnold Schwarzenegger having recently confirmed his involvement in Terminator 5, we're told the script is now being developed and with one fellow action movie star in mind for the role of T5's most sinister machine. A source close to Annapurna Films exclusively tells WWE Examiner Friday morning that one version of the script is being produced specifically for The Rock himself.

Although Johnson has previously confessed to wanting to play the villain in a forthcoming James Bond flick, it doesn't look like that wish will come true any time soon. But the opportunity to star opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger could be even bigger. And these days, everything The Rock does is definitely big.

In fact, the WWE legend and new host of TNT’s The Hero has had an unprecedented run at the box office this year. The Rock's films released just in the last five months have already grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide. For the past 15 weekends, Johnson has had at least one film in the Top 10 films at the U.S. box office.

But a role in T5 could become Johnson's biggest role to date.

A source close to the project says one idea being considered for the film could throw fans of the Terminator franchise for a loop. According to the scenario outlined, T5 may be a prequel set in the days of Sarah Connor's parents, marking the first time terminators have been sent back in time to kill a character that existed before both John and Sarah Connor.

Incredibly, Schwarzenegger may not play the role of a machine in the next film, but a potentially heroic human figure in or close to the Connor family. One theory is that Schwarzenegger's remarkable ability to protect the Connor family in the 1940s or 1950s with antiquated weaponry by today's standards ultimately inspired the machines to develop a terminator in his likeness that was eventually sent to 1984 when Sarah Connor was first targeted for termination.

Although this is purely speculation, the source contends, don't be surprised if T5 is dramatically unlike anything you've seen from the film franchise before.

All we know for certain is that if The Rock signs on the dotted line to do battle with Arnold in the 5th and potentially final Terminator film of the Schwarzenegger era, it could very well be the biggest blockbuster of both Schwarzenegger's and Johnson's film careers.

Calls to Johnson's representatives were not immediately returned. For now, neither the film's production company or rumored T-5 stars have confirmed plans for The Rock to appear in T-5.

[Bob-O]

If this is true, it leaves the door WIDE open for Austin vs Punk or Sting vs Taker... or both... =p~