In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Dwayne 'The Rock" Johnson alluded to the fact that he wasn't happy with the ending of "Rampage" and actually convinced the studio, producer, writer and director to change it on his behalf.
"I don't like a sad ending," he says. "Life brings that shit – I don't want it in my movies. When the credits roll, I want to feel great. We had a big meeting where they gave me all the reasons they thought George should die," he says. "He sacrifices himself saving the world. Killing these animals who had ill intentions to harm mankind. He sacrifices himself like a brave soldier. OK. But this is a movie! There's a crocodile the size of a football stadium – we're not making Saving Private Ryan."
According to Johnson, it was about more than just George. "My problem is I have a relationship with an audience around the world," he says. "For years I've built a trust with them that they're gonna come to my movies and feel good. So every once in a while, you have to drop this card, which is: You're gonna have to find another actor. We need to figure something out, otherwise I'm not gonna do the movie."
In the end, they landed on a compromise that made both sides happy. But everyone agrees that Johnson had the right instinct. "He understands the audience and his relationship with the audience better than anyone," Peyton says.
What does this say about Johnson's ambitions as an "artist"? It says that he tries to adhere to the lowest common denominating audience for maximal box-office potential, it says that, as if we didn't already know, he has no intention of stretching his acting chops further than they already are, and, most importantly, it says that to achieve top-tier status as the highest-paid, most profitable actor in Hollywood, you most likely have to sell your soul to the devil and compromise a film's ending for your betterment. Yikes.
[Rolling Stone]
"I don't like a sad ending," he says. "Life brings that shit – I don't want it in my movies. When the credits roll, I want to feel great. We had a big meeting where they gave me all the reasons they thought George should die," he says. "He sacrifices himself saving the world. Killing these animals who had ill intentions to harm mankind. He sacrifices himself like a brave soldier. OK. But this is a movie! There's a crocodile the size of a football stadium – we're not making Saving Private Ryan."
According to Johnson, it was about more than just George. "My problem is I have a relationship with an audience around the world," he says. "For years I've built a trust with them that they're gonna come to my movies and feel good. So every once in a while, you have to drop this card, which is: You're gonna have to find another actor. We need to figure something out, otherwise I'm not gonna do the movie."
In the end, they landed on a compromise that made both sides happy. But everyone agrees that Johnson had the right instinct. "He understands the audience and his relationship with the audience better than anyone," Peyton says.
What does this say about Johnson's ambitions as an "artist"? It says that he tries to adhere to the lowest common denominating audience for maximal box-office potential, it says that, as if we didn't already know, he has no intention of stretching his acting chops further than they already are, and, most importantly, it says that to achieve top-tier status as the highest-paid, most profitable actor in Hollywood, you most likely have to sell your soul to the devil and compromise a film's ending for your betterment. Yikes.
[Rolling Stone]