LOS ANGELES: Actor Dwayne Johnson will star in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island the sequel to 2008 film Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Johnson, famous as 'The Rock' will replace Brendan Fraser, who is not returning to the franchise after hitting an impasse over dates, the Hollywood Reporter said.
Johnson is in negotiations with New Line studio and the deal expected to close this week. Brad Peyton is directing the film while actor Josh Hutcherson will reprise his role as burgeoning explorer Sean Anderson.
The Scorpion King star will play the boyfriend of Hutcherson's mom, who takes a trip to a mythical and monstrous island to find his missing grandfather.
The script is loosely based on Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island.