Read more after the jump.
I was worried that after Journey 2, Johnson would return to cranking out family friendly movies again. But with the news of these two films, plus this summer's release of G.I. Joe 2 and The Fast and the Furious 6 set to hit theaters next year, it looks like Johnson will stick to what he does best. I have always been a fan of his action movies; I think he is the best action star since the heavyweights of the 80's and 90's. Heck, I was even entertained by "The Scorpion King". It helps, that both "Hercules" and "Ciudad" are based on graphic novels, which I think almost always translate into phenomenal movies. Deadline has a full article on it, but here's a brief excerpt:
Ciudad is based on the upcoming Oni Press graphic novel that the Russo Brothers co-wrote with Ande Parks. Set in one of the most dangerous and corrupt cities in the world, the thriller will star Johnson as a black market mercenary hired by a Brazilian drug lord to rescue his kidnapped daughter.While I haven't read "Hercules: The Thracian War", I have always been very interested in the mythology of Hercules, and I've long wished that Hollywood would make a serious live-action film about him. I looked at images of the graphic novel and I definitely like what I see. If people can get over the fact that, although in better shape than any other actor, Johnson doesn't look like the stereotypical image of Hercules, then I think he will do just fine in the role. The biggest hurdle for this film is the fact that Brett Ratner will be sitting in the directors chair. Me saying I'm not a fan of Ratner's films would be a bit of an understatement. Production for the film doesn't start until October, so I really can't form any sort of opinion yet. It can't hurt that they are filming in New Zealand, where my all time favorite films "The Lord of the Rings" were filmed. You can read the early details at Variety.
Either way I'm glad to see Johnson's schedule filled up with action films.