Dwayne Johnson is – to put it mildly – an extremely busy man. Still occasionally appearing as WWE personality The Rock, Johnson has appeared in several films this year (Snitch, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain & Gain) and will soon add another in Fast and Furious 6.

This is to say nothing of his planned slate of roles, which includes the already-in-motion Fast & Furious 7, Hercules, and Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon. As if the man didn't have enough on his plate, Johnson now appears set to headline an upcoming television series to be broadcast on HBO.

The Hollywood Reporter shares the scoop that Dwayne Johnson has signed on to star in an HBO series produced by fellow Pain & Gain vet Mark Wahlberg. The as-of-yet unnamed show will also be produced by Stephen Levinson (Boardwalk Empire), Dany Garcia (Snitch), and Peter Berg (Battleship). Berg is also set to direct the pilot episode of the series, which he intends to begin filming in the fall of 2013.

While it lacks a name or a clear plot outline, the series will supposedly be a dramedy that follows a group of retired athletes living in Miami. Given the shared pedigree of producers Wahlberg and Levinson, it is likely that the project will be similar in tone to their previous television collaboration, Entourage.

If this sounds awfully similar to themes in Pain & Gain, the semblance is almost certainly intentional. Michael Bay's latest film may have gotten mixed response from critics (read our review), but it led the box office on its opening weekend. In addition, even the most disdainful reviews of Pain & Gain singled out Johnson's performance (a naive ex-con led astray) as a definite highlight.

Fast and Furious 6 Vin Diesel Dwayne Johnson

The setting and themes of the show may have a personal resonance for Johnson, who was once a football player at the University of Miami. Unfortunately, a devastating back injury left him unable to complete his college career – at which point he entered the world of professional wrestling. With as little as we know about the series' plot, it's uncertain whether it will contain any semi-biographical material related to that period of Johnson's life.

Even though the details are currently sketchy, the idea of Johnson headlining an unrated comedy is appealing. Even if he has a habit of taking roles in questionable projects, Johnson remains an immensely charming and capable entertainer. We at Screen Rant will be keeping an eye on this HBO series as it shapes up.

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At this point,  Johnson and Wahlberg's series is a long way from airing. Check in with Screen Rant for any new developments.

Source: THR