Netflix to bring John Cena and Kevin Hart together for The Leading Man, details revealed

Netflix is cooking up pure magic by reuniting Kevin Hart and John Cena for The Leading Man, an electrifying adaptation of the cult graphic novel by Jeremy Haun and B. Clay Moore. After working together in Die Hart, these two legends are set to work on another project, bringing both of their humour, action and larger-than-life screen presence on the screen.

Here’s the wild backstory: The Leading Man has been trapped in Hollywood’s infamous development limbo since 2006. Initially snagged by Universal Pictures with heavy hitters like Marc Platt producing and Justin Lin directing, it somehow got lost in the shuffle. It was then picked by Netflix, who gave the project the glowup it deserves and added two big superstars to the film. The script is bring written by Jon and Erich Hoeber, and is currently still on the lookout for a director.

The plot synopsis for the film reads:

"When a self-absorbed movie star (Cena) discovers that his co-star/man in the chair (Hart) is an actual agent, he’s forced to swallow his pride and accept that action stars aren’t really action heroes... while trying to save the world."

More details on The Leading Man

Kevin Hart and John Cena aren’t just starring in The Leading Man; they’re also producing, bringing all the power moves behind the scenes. Hart’s Hartbeat studio teams up with top producers like Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum to craft this action-packed spectacle.

Hart, as an actor and a comedian has been a familiar face at Netflix. His 2024 smash Lift was a major hit. Meanwhile Cena’s riding high after Heads of State and has a stacked slate of upcoming projects. Between all this, he's also leading James Gunn's Peacemaker.

Before Netflix, the project was picked up by Universal Pictures in 2006 and as co-creator B. Clay Moore had told CBR, it was a pretty exciting project.

"We did The Leading Man at Oni largely because I think a fun action adventure book would kind of fill a niche in their lineup. But from day one, Oni publisher Joe Nozemack was excited about the media potential of the project."

He then added:

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"Oni's production partners, Eric Gitter and Peter Schwerin, let us know right away they wanted to probe movie options, which was fine with us. I think big, easy to grasp ideas naturally translate to the screen, and we feel the story Jeremy and I put together would also translate nicely. Obviously, our first concern is the comic book, but it would be fun to see Nick Walker and pals on the big screen. Hopefully, that momentum would allow us to continue the comic book with a bit more attention."

With Netflix’s backing, a killer script, and this dynamic duo in full throttle, The Leading Man is primed to be a pulse-pounding, laugh-out-loud thrill ride that could be the next big thing in both the actors' lives. More details are awaited as of now.

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