Similar to the formula that sees dinosaur movies escalating with the approach of “bigger and more teeth,” so too goes the action world. Only in a realm where explosions and stunts go hand in hand, a new project that will see Black Adam star/producer Dwayne Johnson and Aquaman star Yahya-Abdul Mateen II joining forces would switch out more teeth for more muscles. Though at the time, some of those muscles will be off the screen, thanks to Johnson only executive producing this new action movie.
Dubbed Emergency Contact, the details of this project’s apparently hot pitch are being kept secret at the moment. All that’s known right now, according to THR’s reporting, is that both Dwayne Johnson and Yahya-Abdul Mateen II are executive producers, with the latter collaborator set to star in the film. The only clues given to what Emergency Contact will entail is the following, cryptic, logline:
A high-concept, high-octane action film set in the underground music scene of Austin, Texas.
Apparently, that was enough for Warner Bros to commit to making Emergency Contact, as they are the current studio home for the project. Pitched by The Mauritanian writers Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, it was an impressive enough package to draw a huge studio, and some amazing producing/acting talent into its orbit. And while it’s still pretty secretive, there’s an inkling of an idea that could be drawn from what we do know about this film.
Starting with the vague details we have at this moment, it sounds like Emergency Contact might be a cross between Chris Evans’ Cellular and Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. With a title like that, it’s hard not to imagine Yahya-Abdul Mateen II racing against time, trying to save a life or multiple lives, thanks to a random phone call. Plus “high octane action films” practically scream the involvement of fast cars and dangerous drivers.
If we’re right on the money with these assumptions, Dwayne Johnson may want to consider signing on as a co-star, as his Hobbs and Shaw associate Jason Statham did a pretty good job as a similar heavy in that previous Evans film. For the time being though, Johnson is merely an executive producer, using his muscle over at Seven Bucks Productions to help push Emergency Contact into being. Should he remain behind the scenes on the film, it’d still be a comforting fact that Dwayne Johnson is involved with the decision making behind the film. Plus, as he’s co-executive producing with Yahya-Abdul Mateen II, the pair can feel out what works, and what doesn’t, as this pitch moves on.
Unfortunately, there’s no timeline set for when movie fans should expect Emergency Contact to hit theaters, or even when it should be going into production. But 2021’s release schedule has the keys to seeing both Dwayne Johnson and Yahya-Abdul Mateen II on the big screen in the year to come. So don’t think you’ll have to wait too long before seeing your favorite action stars doing what they do best.
