CDC Pauses Production of Dwayne Johnson & Don Johnson Buddy Cop Film
LOS ANGELES — The Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statement Wednesday morning announcing the production hiatus of an upcoming buddy cop film starring Don Johnson and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, disappointed sources reported.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided that Dwayne Johson and Don Johnson’s high stakes caper through the Tokyo underground will not be coming to HBO Max this July,” said CDC spokesperson Eve Berg. “The decision was made after Dwayne Johnson accidentally punched six of our seven million stunt doubles. Dwayne has since apologized, but in the interest of safety we have decided to halt production of the film until further notice. We ask that all HBO Max subscribers please be patient and understand that summer buddy cop blockbuster safety is our top priority.”
Following the announcement, Dwayne Johnson reaffirmed his commitment to film production safety in a video posted to his Instagram page.
“Dozens of other actors have accidentally injured crew members in thousands of ways without interrupting production. But if the CDC says my fist connecting with a stunt double’s face is reason to delay the movie, we have to follow their guidelines,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t have become an actor if it weren’t for Miami Vice, so working with Don Johnson has been a dream come true. I was so excited that I didn’t even notice that I had just broken a man’s jaw. I’m disappointed in myself for jeopardizing all of the work our team has done, and I understand the decision to halt production.”
Some have criticized the CDC for allowing more dangerous productions to continue because they aren’t as “high profile” as the Johnson & Johnson project.
“Last year I was shooting a mid budget Dave Bautista movie but almost had to stop production after the guy accidentally beat up half my stunt department,” said director Martin Sims. “I only kept going because the studio didn’t want to lose their investment. It happens all the time. I’m no conspiracy theorist, but it seems like the definition of scrutiny changes when more HBO Max subscriptions are at stake.”
At press time, the CDC allowed the production of a popular sitcom to continue despite its high on-set injury rate.
