Posted in: Boom, Comics | Tagged: brzrkr, dwayne johnson, keanu reeves, ross richie
When The Rock Got Beaten To Buying Boom Studios By A Penguin
When Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson got beaten to buying comic book publisher Boom Studios by a Penguin
Article Summary
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wanted to buy Boom Studios in 2021, Ross Richie reveals, during the breakout BRZRKR era.
- Richie envisioned The Rock using Boom Studios to launch Hollywood-driven comics, new characters, and shared universes.
- The deal never closed because timing failed, with Johnson busy and other Boom Studios buyers moving in fast.
- Penguin Random House ultimately bought Boom Studios in 2024, beating The Rock to the comic publisher.
Ross Richie co-founded Boom Studios with Andrew Cosby in a spare bedroom of his Los Angeles apartment in 2005. Sixteen years later, he stepped back from the day-to-day, became chairman of the board, and set about selling the company, eventually to Penguin Random House. But one of the other interested parties, he has now confirmed, was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In a new Substack post, Ross Richie writes that by 2021 “there was no shortage of interested buyers. Including one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.” The timing lined up with the launch of BRZRKR, the comics series created by Keanu Reeves with Matt Kindt and Ron Garney. Ross Richie says the discussions with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went further than a simple acquisition.
“What BRZRKR had done was take a Hollywood legend who truly loved comic books – Keanu Reeves – and he made his own comic book. We had brought in top talent – industry legends like Matt Kindt and Ron Garney – who worked hand-in-hand, panel-by-panel, to help Keanu tell his story… What if someone like Dwayne stepped into the ownership position and opened the doors wide to all the talent in Hollywood? A BRZRKR-style publishing phenomenon, with Dwayne Johnson driving interest at the centre, bringing in some of the biggest names in the world to flex their creative muscles. New characters. New comics. A universe – or universes – of storytelling. And a company to power it all. Now THAT would have been something.”
It did not happen, and The Rock got beaten by a Penguin. In 2024, Penguin Random House acquired Boom Studios, a deal Bleeding Cool reported first
“Ultimately, the timing didn’t work. Dwayne had plenty on his plate, including his football ventures, and Boom Studios had other interested buyers knocking on the door imminently. We couldn’t wait.”
Ross Richie is now turning his attention to a 200-page hardcover collection ofJack Kirby covers beyond his Marvel and DC work. He is launching itwhen the project goes live. But he still wonders… “The Rock. Boom Studios. Imagine what we could have cooked up…”
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