Dwayne Johnson & Ryan Reynolds’ Feud Is Bad News For Netflix’s Most-Watched Franchise
Recent reports have revealed a feud between stars Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which could be bad news for Netflix’s action franchise, Red Notice. The 2021 action/comedy film starred Reynolds and Johnson alongside Gal Gadot for a globetrotting adventure of crime and theft. Despite poor response from critics who gave Red Notice a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.3/10 on IMDb, the movie has since become Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time. Of course, a movie with that level of viewership is bound to attract a sequel.
Despite it being nearly three years since Red Notice premiered, there’s been minimal news regarding Red Notice 2’s development. The script has reportedly been written, though there’s been no substantial news about the film’s shooting schedule or casting. Oddly, The Rock’s Jumanji sequel has a similar, questionable status and has been waiting even longer. The 52-year-old movie star hasn’t had a film released in 2022, and recent reports regarding his set behavior haven’t been kind, calling to question the production status of Red Notice 2.
It seems exceedingly difficult to film a movie when two of the main stars aren’t on speaking terms, especially if that film is centered around their joint chemistry. If Ryan Reynolds and The Rock have been feuding off-screen, that could easily explain the multi-year delay between films. Of course, The Rock is signed on for over a dozen projects, but the 2010s saw how much ground he could cover, appearing in two to three movies practically every year of the decade. Surely, if Red Notice was such an enormous hit for Netflix, they’d find time to schedule it if everyone was interested.
While the two stars feuding could explain delays in Red Notice 2, it still doesn’t explain the delays in other projects. In 2023, it was reported that The Rock would star in an A24 movie directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, The Curse), with the actor stating, “I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.” While it’d be shocking for him to totally turn away from blockbusters, it’s possible that The Rock’s priorities have shifted away from the many big-budget projects he was signed on for.
Based on original reports, Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne Johnson were both expected to return for Red Notice 2, and Gal Gadot has revealed that she’s read the script for the sequel. If Reynolds and Johnson have reconciled, it’s not impossible that they’d continue the franchise, but reconciling and agreeing to work together again are two different stories. Red Notice may have been a hit, but Ryan Reynolds has plenty of other things going on, including Deadpool 3’s big release in July 2024.
If the reports are accurate about The Rock’s behavior on set, that information being revealed to the public could pressure him into taking accountability for it. Either way, both reports about him have been bad PR for his upcoming movies, and it’s to be seen whether this will have any effect on their success. Given The Rock’s immense popularity and the broad appeal of his movies, the negative press may not matter much for a film like Red Notice 2. After all, terrible reviews didn’t prevent it from being Netflix’s biggest movie ever.
