The 2008’s Journey To The Center Of The Earth, based on the novel by Jules Verne, starring Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson has been a classic film, that earned repeated viewership. As the movie turned into a solid hit, the studio thus decided to capitalize on the film’s success and came up with a sequel starring Dwayne Johnson, who replaced Fraser.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was yet again adapted from Jules Verne’s novel and became an even bigger hit than the original. Garnering praise due to Dwayne Johnson’s appearance, the studio thus decided to turn Johnson into the franchise’s leading man. Following the success of the sequel, Journey 3 was soon confirmed, which was going to be filmed alongside Journey 4. However, according to recent reports, it has been revealed that the third installment has been stalled and canceled.
Dwayne Johnson’s Journey 3 Has Been Canceled
Galloping its way into the box office, Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson’s Journey To The Center Of The Earth (2008) based on Jules Verne’s renowned novel turned into a cult classic for many fans. Although critics considered the 3D release of the film a bit gimmicky, the film was overall a massive hit, for the studio.
Thereafter, the success of the 2008 movie made the producers realize how they could capitalize on the film, by turning it into a popular franchise. Thus, the studio came up with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in 2012, starring Dwayne Johnson. This time, the WWE champion replaced Brendan Fraser as the main protagonist of the sequel.
With Dwayne Johnson’s appearance in the franchise, the sequel turned into an even bigger hit than the first installment. Garnering praises, the movie offered the studio with the hope of further sequels. Therefore, they immediately confirmed the release of Journey 3 and 4, after the 2012 sequel. However, there was little to no update about the sequels between 2015 and 2018.
Hey big man, good to see you asked dad’s permission to use his account. Unfortunately, I have no plans to make another Journey movie. My goal to make Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon” became a real challenge to crack creatively. Thx for being such a cool fan. 🤙🏾👊🏾 https://t.co/9PQeCMBIAR
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 3, 2018
Despite Johnson’s stature as a leading actor in the franchise and his reputation as a ‘franchise-saver’, the actor later confirmed that Journey 3 was canceled due to a lack of a proper script. Responding to fans’ questions via social media, Dwayne Johnson noted that he won’t be moving forward with the franchise. Considering the six-year gap since Journey 2, Johnson’s confirmation didn’t come as a shock to fans, as they had already dreaded this very outcome.
Dwayne Johnson’s Busy Schedule Stalled Journey 3
According to further reports, although Dwayne Johnson revealed that Journey 3 got stalled and canceled due to a lack of a script, it was revealed that the actor was equally responsible for the cancellation. Having a hectic workload, a busy schedule, and diverting his focus on other franchises like the family-friendly adventure Jumanji movies, Johnson left the $561M Journey franchise to fall between the cracks.
Although Dwayne Johnson could eventually return to the $561M franchise, the actor got engaged in 2021’s Jungle Cruise, honoring the spirit of the Journey franchise. Further, he starred in Netflix’s 2021 action/comedy Red Notice and appeared in DCU’s 2022 action flick Black Adam. Thereafter, gaining momentum in the entertainment industry, Johnson completely shifted his focus from the Journey movies to other projects.
Despite his recent movies following the tone of the Journey films, Dwyane Johnson had trouble moving ahead with the third installment. Further, with his WWE return, Johnson turned even more busy and failed to move forward with Journey 3. Leaving behind the $561M franchise that could have turned into an epic hit, the actor made a grave mistake, which left fans disappointed.
The Journey franchise could indeed have replaced Dwayne Johnson as they did with Brendan Fraser, but since the WWE champion was the essence of the franchise, the studio seemingly refused to take the risk. They rather let the promising franchise die, than replace Johnson. But considering that the studio had difficulty coming up with a solid script, indicates it might have been a good thing that Journey 3 didn’t happen.
