19 December 2017
Newsdesk
Action man Dwayne Johnson found it ironic to be filming Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle on the same Hawaiian island his family was evicted from during his childhood.
The wrestler-turned-actor grew up in Honolulu, but he and his relatives had to relocate to Pennsylvania during his teens as they struggled to make ends meet.
Johnson returned to the island last year (16) to shoot his new adventure blockbuster, and while he had a great time working alongside co-stars Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan, his stay there was a little bittersweet.
"We (his family) were forced to leave the island because we couldn't pay the rent, so I was 13 or 14 years old, and I remember thinking I will do everything I can to make sure we're never in this position again," he recalled in a pre-taped interview for U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America, "so the irony is not lost on me that we're here in Hawaii, but it also gives me a real strong foundation of gratitude."
Johnson's full circle moment has been made all the more sentimental because the new Jumanji movie is his first film project to receive a festive release, although it also means he's under increased pressure to deliver a great performance.
He added, "I've never had the privilege of having a movie come out during Christmas and when you have a Christmas movie come out, I feel like you have a responsibility (to) make sure it's good."
Luckily for Johnson, the first reviews from critics have been largely positive.
"Outstanding results of our early #Jumanji screenings are in!," he shared on Twitter on Monday (18Dec17). "Tons of happy people and not because of the alcohol I had the theaters serve. Thank you so much and glad you had as much fun watching the movie as we did making it."
Fans will get to have their say later this week (begs18Dec17) when Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, directed by Jake Kasdan, opens in theatres just in time for Christmas.
