Dwayne Johnson to Star as Motorcycle Stuntman Hiding His Dementia in ‘Free Byrd’

Dwayne Johnson is set to star in and produce Free Byrd, an action drama directed by Greg Kwedar for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity banner.

Gill Netter will also produce the pic also written by Kwedar (Sing Sing, Train Dreams). “Free Byrd follows a Las Vegas motorcycle stuntman who conceals a dementia diagnosis from everyone, including his mechanic brother, as he risks everything on one last jump. The film examines and confronts the mind’s vast mysteries and the beauty and power of asking for help before it’s too late,” a synopsis from the producers states.

“Free Byrd is a gift in many ways. Emblematic of life’s sacred beauty, as well as life’s harsh and callous reality. The subject matter of Free Byrd has become deeply personal to Greg Kwedar and myself as we’ve started to unpack this fateful journey together,” Johnson said in a statement.

The film continues a path Johnson has been on in recent years. The Jumanji actor took a time out from playing a blockbuster action heros to star in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine as Mark Kerr, an early MMA fighter whose life took a dark turn.

His upcoming releases include the live-action Moana and Jumanji: Open World, as well as Lizard Music, written and directed by Safdie. The script for Free Byrd was originally by Jon Boyer, with an earlier draft coming from The Peanut Butter Falcon writer and directors Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson, before Kwedar did a rewrite.

Artists Equity is producing alongside Fifth Season, Johnson for Seven Bucks Productions, and Kwedar and Clint Bentley for Ethos.

“Greg is one of the most exciting writer-directors working today, and Dwayne is an extraordinary talent and person. We are extremely excited that they have chosen to make this with us and very much look forward to sharing the finished film with audiences,” Affleck and Damon said in a joint statement.

Variety first reported the news.

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

Subscribe

Sign Up