The Scorpion King (2002)

Inspired by tales of a legendary Egyptian ruler, The Scorpion King unfolds in a time of hardship and brutality, centuries before the raising of the Great Pyramid. As the story begins, the cruel Memnon, portrayed by Steven Brand, will stop at nothing to become king of the known world. He faces minimal resistance from the few desperate survivors of his scourge-like attacks. Still, a small band of Akkadians, a once-proud clan of assassins, now nearly extinct, has been hired to kill the sorcerer who guides Memnon's deadly hand. However, after accepting this mission, the Akkadians' numbers are quickly reduced to just one - Mathayus (The Rock).

The Scorpion King character, portrayed by wrestling superstar The Rock, was first introduced in The Mummy Returns, a film which is set 2000 years after the events depicted in this new action adventure saga. The Rock had just finished his first days of shooting The Mummy Returns - the film in which he made his big-screen debut - when Universal Pictures approached him about starring in his own film, which would chronicle the Scorpion King's rise to power.

"I was really excited," recalled The Rock. "My long-term goal has always been to break into the film industry and I was waiting for the right opportunity. It felt like this was definitely it. It was a phenomenal chance for Universal to take and I wasn't about to let them down."

For the studio executives and filmmakers, seeing the first footage of The Rock in action was like catching lightning in a bottle. They were witnessing the birth of a new screen action star, in a role perfectly suited to his immense physical talents.

"We were blown away by his charisma and presence in those first dailies for The Mummy Returns," recalled producer Kevin Misher, who was then Universal Pictures' president of production. "Even though he was speaking his lines in Egyptian, he was incredibly compelling. We started coming up with a project for him right then and there."

James Jacks and Sean Daniel, producers of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, were just as excited. Eager to work with The Rock again, they segued from the rigors of producing The Mummy Returns straight into producing The Scorpion King. "Not only is The Rock a riveting presence on screen, but he is incredibly professional on set," said Jacks. "Sean and I are both huge fans."

"The Rock is the heir apparent in a long line of action adventure heroes," added Daniel. "He has it all: a natural rapport with the camera, an imposing physicality and a devilish humor which makes for a potent combination. He's the real deal."

Stephen Sommers, director and writer of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, had also become a fan of the actor - and the character. Having introduced the Scorpion King to the world in The Mummy Returns, he was primed to explore the heroic origins of the character as a writer and producer of the new film.

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