What is Breakthrough, the new A24 movie starring Dwayne Johnson about? Details revealed

The Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky is expected to direct Breakthrough, a new thriller film starring Dwayne Johnson (per Deadline). Sources reveal that Aronofsky is still in very early talks to get on board as a director. If the deal goes through, he will be working with a script penned by Zeke Goodman for a film financed and produced by A24.

Its official synopsis, per Deadline, reads:

"Set in turn-of-the-millennium Southern California, the story follows an alienated young man who comes under the influence of a motivational guru, whose intoxicating charm masks his morally questionable methods of manipulation and his own concealed darkness."

Johnson (aka The Rock) is expected to star in a supporting role in one of these motivational gurus. Per reports, the casting for the central role and the rest of the supporting roles haven't been finalized yet. More details will likely be released soon.

What else do we know about Breakthrough, starring Dwayne Johnson?

82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals - Source: Getty

On May 21, 2025, Deadline reported that Dwayne Johnson had gotten on board to star in the A24 thriller, Breakthrough. It marks his second project with the studio after The Smashing Machine, directed by one-half of the Safdie brothers, Benny Safdie.

Besides starring in Breakthrough, The Rock is also expected to produce it under his and Dany Garcia's banner, Seven Bucks Productions. They will be joined by Shiny Penny Productions (Stacey Sher) and A24. Sources suggest that Justin Wolf and Jacob Epstein will be executive producers of this project for Lighthouse Management and Media.

Breakthrough is expected to be directed by Darren Aronofsky; however, per reports, the deal hasn't been finalized yet. If it goes through, this project will mark Aronofsky's return to collaborating with A24 studio after The Whale, which earned Brendan Fraser an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. It also won an award for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling.

Breakthrough's script is written by Zeke Goodman, who has had a decade-long acting career with Prime Video series like Cruel Intentions and I Know What You Did Last Summer being the highlights. The A24 thriller will be his feature writing debut.

What is Dwayne Johnson working on besides this project?

Besides the A24 thriller, Dwayne Johnson is starring in an untitled Hawaii-set crime drama, expected to be directed by the Goodfellas and Taxi Driver director Martin Scorsese. Per reports, The Rock will be joined by Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt in the cast. Blunt will also be seen alongside Johnson in The Smashing Machine, expected to be out on October 3, 2025.

Besides that, The Rock will reportedly star in two franchise projects: an untitled Fast and the Furious franchise installment and San Andreas 2 (directed by Brad Payton).

What is Darren Aronofsky working on? Details explored

Netflix's "The Good Nurse" New York Screening - Source: Getty

Darren Aronofsky will soon return with his latest directorial, Caught Stealing, a dark comedy crime thriller written by Charlie Huston (Gotham, Powers). Its cast includes Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Matt Smith, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Bad Bunny, Vincent D'Onofrio, Liev Schreiber, Griffin Dunne, Will Brill, George Abud, and more. It is scheduled to be released on August 29, 2025.