The year was 2003.Peter Bergwas directing his first feature film since his debut effortVery Bad Thingsin 1998.Dwayne Johnsonwas in the very earliest days of his Hollywood film career, having appeared in 2001’sThe Mummy Returns, starring in the spin-off filmThe Scorpion Kingin 2002, with a bit part as a mugger in 2001’sLongshotsandwiched in between. Berg and Johnson collaborated for the first time in the action/comedyThe Rundown, with The Rock as a bounty hunter tasked with tracking down his boss’s troublemaking son (Seann William Scott) to haul him out of the jungles of Brazil. It was a wild ride, and a fun one at that, with supporting turns from bothChristopher WalkenandRosario Dawson. It was such a fun experience, in fact, thatBerg has been trying to get a sequel off the groundfor a number of years now.
Now in 2016, Berg and Johnson still want to getThe Rundown 2up and running, and as Berg himself reveals, he wants to have none other thanJonah Hillstar opposite The Rock. The writer/director told our ownSteve Weintraubas much during an interview atTIFFfor Berg’s filmDeepwater Horizon, starringMark Wahlberg. Berg’s proven himself to be a competent and accomplished filmmaker over the years and Johnson’s star has never burned brighter; to see Hill completing this trio would be a pure delight.
Here’s what Berg had to say when Steve brought upThe Rundown 2:
Do you foresee yourself taking a bit of a break or can I get you to doThe Rundown 2?
BERG: We’ve been talking about it. You know, I wanted to do it with Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. If I could get Jonah Hill, I’d do it tomorrow. If I could get Dwayne and Jonah Hill, I’d do it tomorrow.
Do you think that’s even possible?
BERG: Anything’s possible. We want to do it, it’s just hard to get everybody, you know. It’s on our minds. We actually wrote a script. But I want Jonah Hill, so reach out to Jonah. Pressure Jonah to do it. If Jonah Hill would do it, I’m in.
I’d love to know what’s in that script: Will the team be heading back to the jungles of Brazil or to some new locale altogether? What role would Hill play in the sequel? We won’t find out unless we get the word out!
If you’d love to see Berg return to direct Johnson in a sequel toThe Rundown, andespeciallyif you’d love to see Hill join the party, put some social media pressure on old Jonah. It’s bound to be more effective than any online petition you’ve ever signed.
Update: The Rock’s on board!
In the meantime, Berg’sDeepwater Horizonwill open in theaters September 30th. His next film, currently in post-production, isPatriots Day, a dramatic retelling of the events of the Boston Marathon bombing, also starring Wahlberg. That film opens in limited release on December 21st before opening wide on August 04, 2025.
