Deadline is reporting that actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, currently tearing it up as Negan on AMC’s The Walking Dead, will bring his characteristic swagger to the Rampage movie cast. Morgan will play Agent Russell, a government guy with attitude who works for an agency known as OGA in the New Line Cinema film. He will also reunite with actress Malin Akerman, who played the daughter of his Comedian in 2009’s Watchmen, and who portrays the main Rampage villain.
Morgan and Akerman will co-star alongside Dwayne Johnson and Naomie Harris in the Rampage movie, an adaptation of the classic Midway arcade game. The cast also includes Joe Manganiello, Marley Shelton, Jake Lacy, PJ Byrne, Jack Quaid, Matt Gerald and Breanne Hill. The movie is set to begin shooting in Atlanta this month.
This will mark the third collaboration between Johnson, producer Beau Flynn, director Brad Peyton and New Line, having worked on Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and San Andreas together as well. The latter film earned over $473 million at the global box offices, making it the most successful original blockbuster of summer 2015.
Carlton Cuse (San Andreas) and his Colony co-creator Ryan Condal will rewrite the script by Non-Stop screenwriter Ryan Engle, which will involve Johnson going toe-to-toe with the game’s three original beasties. Beau Flynn (Baywatch) will produce.
Released in 1986, the original Rampage put players in control of one of three monsters: A giant ape named George; a giant lizard name Lizzy; or a giant werewolf named Ralph. The game saw the monsters running amok across the United States, fighting the military, and destroying key landmarks. Several sequels were developed for the title as well, adding even more types of monsters to the playable roster and extending their path of destruction into the cosmos and even back in time.
New Line will release the Rampage movie to theaters on April 20, 2018.
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