The upcoming Dito Montiel directed film Empire State may be bulking up in more ways than one. The indie heist movie, which was formerly titled The Sentry Keep, may be close to securing Liam Hemsworth and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as its stars. Word is, both are in talks for roles, with one possibly closer to signing on than the other at this point.
Produced by Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, Empire State is based on a true story about an armored car company robbery back in 1982 in New York City, which at the time, was believed to be the largest cash heist in U.S. history. This, according to Deadline, who reported the news, along with word that Liam Hemsworth, who’s set to play Gale in the upcoming adaptation of The Hunger Games, is “close to a deal” to star in the film. The Aussie actor would play Chris in the movie, which is set to begin filming in April.
Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson may also be joining the film. Deadline reports that he’s negotiating for the part of Ransone. No further elaboration on the nature of either role (or what side of the law they’re on) is mentioned. In the meantime, big may be what they're aiming for with both parts as Hemsworth is 6 foot 3, which puts him two inches shorter than the wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, but still very much on the tall side.
