The Walt Disney movie "The Gameplan" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has many Elvis references. This is the result of both the director Andy Fickman and "The Rock" being Elvis fans.
The movie includes the Elvis songs Jailhouse Rock, Rubberneckin', Burning Love and Are You Lonesome Tonight? "The Rock" talks about this movie and shares some scenese on the Elvis Insiders website.
More on the Rock and Elvis: (see earlier stories yesterday & 26 Sep 2007) Attention, future directors of movies starring The Rock: It would be a good idea for you to get all shook up.
"I love Elvis, I have always loved Elvis," says Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, who visited Minneapolis' new Westin Hotel last month to promote "The Game Plan." In the movie, which opens today, he plays a former football player (not a stretch; the former wrestler played football for the University of Miami) who discovers he has a daughter (not a stretch, since Johnson also has one) and who loves Elvis (also not a stretch).
"I was the one who had the idea that he would love Elvis and would have an Elvis poster that he would constantly be consulting for advice," says Johnson, a large, navy blue tattoo snaking out of his light blue shirt. He was pretty committed to the Elvis idea, too. So much so that when he had a "great" meeting with a director who said he thought Johnson's character was more likely to be an Aerosmith fan than an Elvis fan, Johnson gave him the heave-ho.
Next up: potential director Andy Fickman.
"So when I met with Andy, he said, 'What do you think about the character?' and I said, 'Wait. First, how do you feel about Elvis?' " Johnson says. "He said, 'I love Elvis.' And I said, 'OK, but how much?' Because I wanted to be sure, you know. So he said, 'I've been to Graceland three times, I have all his records.' And I said, 'OK, the meeting can continue.' "
"It was like 'Elvis Jeopardy' or something," Fickman says with a chuckle. "Luckily, I grew up in Texas, where everyone loves Elvis."
Source: EPE / Updated: Sep 28, 2007
