Dwayne Johnson has spent the better part of three years quietly plotting a detour from Hollywood film sets to the Great White Way. His target was a high-profile Broadway revival of Neil Simon’s classic comedy The Odd Couple, co-starring his frequent onscreen collaborator Kevin Hart.
The ambition was serious enough to involve Jeffrey Seller, the acclaimed theater producer best known for his work on Hamilton. But the logistics of merging two of the busiest schedules in the entertainment industry have temporarily killed the momentum, forcing Johnson to shelve the project.
The roadblock comes down to strict calendar math. Johnson recently explained the logistical nightmare of aligning their slates, noting that the delay rests entirely on Hart’s current workload. The actor stated his co-star is “so booked for the next three to five years,” making a nightly theatrical commitment impossible right now. The duo will still reunite onscreen later this year for a Christmas Day release, according to a report by The Independent detailing Hart’s three-to-five-year booked schedule and their upcoming promotional tour for Jumanji: Open World.
A Johnson-Hart pairing would have brought immediate box-office draw to a 1965 theatrical property that originally spawned a legendary 1968 film and multiple television adaptations. By attempting to cross over to theater, Johnson is joining a growing trend of top-tier action stars taking on Broadway to legitimize and expand their theatrical range. Partnering with Seller indicated the production was aiming for immediate blockbuster status.
Despite the setback with the Simon comedy, Johnson is “not letting that dream go.” He remains open to collaborating with Seller down the line and even joked about taking on a different genre entirely, floating the idea that he “could run around singing in keys that don’t exist.” He has no plans to abandon the stage entirely, a sentiment reinforced in coverage from WBLS confirming his ongoing desire to pursue a Broadway musical and keep the theatrical dream alive despite the current delay.