Dwayne Johnson
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Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson, who has ties with Hawaii, will essay the role of King Kamehameha I, the founder of the kingdom of Hawaii, in 'The King.' The feature will be directed by Robert Zemeckis and penned by 'Braveheart' screenwriter Randall Wallace. Despite what some native Hawaiian islanders may think, Dwayne Johnson is very much the best choice to portray Kamehameha the Great.

Dwayne Johnson took to his Instagram and Twitter, to announce the news and wrote, "KA LA HIKI OLA. Dawning of a new day with hope and promise. Humbled & grateful to begin this once in a lifetime journey. KING KAMEHAMEHA - the legendary King was the first to unite the warring Hawaiian islands — fulfilling the prophecy that surrounded his fabled life since birth and creating the powerful & spiritual 50th state as we know it today."

The Rock appears to be the right person to portray the legendary king's role for a number of reasons, which can be read below. He revealed how he had always wanted to make a film on the life of Kamehameha I, ever since he stepped foot on Hollywood.

"From the day I began my Hollywood career (2001), my dream was to bring this legacy to life. In Polynesian culture we have a belief, that something isn't done when it's ready... it's done when it's right. The time is right. The one who walks alone," he said.

Indeed, Deadline reporter Mike Fleming Jr recalled how Johnson wanted to play Kamehameha when he was filming 'The Mummy Returns.'

The Rock and King Kamehameha both share Samoan ancestry. Kamehameha is said to be a descendant of high chief Pili, from Samoa. Dwayne Johnson is half Samoan, on his mother's side. The Samoan islands are part of Polynesia, which includes Hawaii. Johnson also has a tattoo spread across his left chest and back, which tells his family history; in true Samoan tradition. Take a look at his tattoo below.

It must also be taken into account that Dwayne Johnson is one of the top Hollywood stars at the moment and he will be able to provide resources to the production in a way that other lesser known actors will not be able to. He also has a huge fan following across the world and most of his recent movies have achieved box office success. His star power was one of the key reasons which pulled audiences into movie theatres for the 'Jumanji' sequel and 'Rampage.' 

Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, was a Hawaiian King who was born around 1736, at a time when the rulers of the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago were warring amongst each other. He eventually conquered and unified the islands and laid the foundation for what was to become the modern state of Hawaii.

There's a legend of Kamehameha fulfilling a prophecy by moving and overturning the Naha Stone, a volcanic rock which gave him the divine right to rule all the islands of Hawaii. It's an interesting coincidence then that Johnson would use the wrestling ring name, "The Rock." It would indeed be epic if Zemeckis chooses to film and keep the Naha Stone moving scene in the final cut of 'The King.'

This is not his first Hawaii-related project for Johnson though. He played the Polynesian god Maui, a mythical trickster figure, in Disney's 'Moana.' He also starred and executive produced 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,' which was mostly shot in Honolulu, Hawaii.

A Hawaiian Kahu priest has already blessed Johnson and the producers of 'The King' last year, in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony. It seems that the spirit of Kamehameha the Great has probably given his blessings for Johnson's dream project. 

As originally reported by Deadline, Warner Bros and New Line Cinema won the auction rights for 'The King,' which will be an epic movie. Dwayne Johnson will also produce the feature through his company 'Seven Bucks Productions.' Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia are co-producing with FlynnPictureCo's Beau Flynn, Robert Zemeckis and Randall Wallace.

Robert Zemeckis is best known as the director of Hollywood films like 'Romancing the Stone,' the 'Back to the Future' series, 'Forrest Gump,' for which he won an Academy Award. He also directed 'Cast Away' and 'The Walk' among others.