Sarah Michelle Gellar

Thriller ’Tales’ costars Gellar, Scott

Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock) will star opposite Seann William Scott and Sarah Michelle Gellar in the science-fiction thriller "Southland Tales" for writer-director Richard Kelly and Cherry Road Films. Production is slated to begin Aug. 1 in Los Angeles.

"Southland Tales" is set in Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as the city stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Johnson will star as an amnesiac action star whose life intertwines with an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.

"I see enormous potential for him to become a great actor," Kelly said of Johnson. The filmmaker added that some actors will have a musical component to their roles, but would not identify who. "Not all of them know what they’ll be doing."

Cherry Road has greenlit the picture with co-financing from Universal Pictures International, Inferno Distribution and Wild Bunch, with Universal distributing in most foreign territories through the UIP banner, and Wild Bunch distributing in France, Benelux, Spain and Switzerland. UTA reps the domestic.

Sean McKittrick will produce under the Darko Entertainment banner he co-founded with Kelly. Cherry Road principals Bo Hyde and Kendall Morgan will produce.

Executive producers are Matthew Rhodes and Judd Payne of Persistent Entertainment, Bill Johnson and Jim Seibel of Inferno Distribution, and Oliver Hengst of Academy Film. Moby will compose the music.

"Southland Tales" also will be presented as a nine-part interactive experience with the prequel saga to be published as six separate 100-page graphic novels written by Kelly. These will be released over a six-month period early next year leading up to the film’s release, with the feature film covering the story’s final three chapters.