Jackson and Dwayne Join 'The Other Guys'

Source: Variety

Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne "formerly known as The Rock" Johnson have joined the new comedy out of the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay camp, The Other Guys. The film, which will begin production tomorrow, will star Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as low-level policemen, the titular "other guys," while Jackson and Johnson will play two elite cops -- assumedly the "guys" Ferrell and Wahlberg are "other" than. Steve Coogan will play the villain of the film.

Granted, this new casting could make for some good comedic fodder, but the last couple of times "Sam Jackson" and "elite cop" were heard together, it was for the dismal Snakes on a Plane and The Man, the latter of which had a pathetic $4.07 million opening weekend. Jackson also recently starred as a crooked man of the law in Lakeview Terrace, which posted a modest domestic haul of close to $40 million.

The last film to come out of the Ferrell/McKay-helmed Gary Sanchez Productions was The Goods, which did poorly both with critics and at the box office, where it suffered a $5.64 million opening weekend.

Jackson will be filming for Guys fresh off of Iron Man 2, while Johnson will be heard as the lead role in the animated Planet 51 later this year. The Other Guys is set for an August 6, 2010 release.