Dwayne Johnson to star in John Henry and the Statesmen

Dwayne Johnson

Netflix has secured the rights to John Henry and The Statesmen, an original pitch from writer Tom Wheeler with Dwayne Johnson attached to star. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle director Jake Kasdan is on board to helm the show. Netflix landed the rights after a heated bidding war that attracted many of the major studios.

The film marks Johnson's first feature at Netflix, another win for the streaming giant. It is already in production on projects with Mark Wahlberg and Ryan Reynolds, reports variety.com. "Netflix is the perfect partner and platform for us to continue entertaining our global audience in a disruptive way," Johnson said.

"These diverse characters speak to a legacy of storytelling that is more relevant than ever and span across a worldwide audience regardless of age, gender, race, or geography," he added. Wheeler developed the pitch with Hiram Garcia, president of production at Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia's Seven Bucks Productions.

Johnson will also serve as a producer on the film.

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