Dwayne Johnson To Star In Ghana's World Cup Cash Controversy In New Hollywood Film

The cash controversy that disrupted Ghana's 2014 World Cup is set to be made into a Hollywood film where 'someone like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson' saves the day by delivering money to the unhappy players in Brazil. The Ghana squad, including former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, were close to boycotting their final Group G match against Portugal over a row about appearance money. Ghana President John Dramani Mahama intervened by flying in £1.8million in cash to pay the team the night before their clash with Portugal.
Bugeater Films, an American production company, have decided to turn the dispute into a movie. They have hired screenwriter Darryl Wharton-Rigby - a former staff writer for acclaimed US TV series Homicide: Life on the Street, is writing a thriller based on the incident.

'Football and the players needing the money is kind of the backdrop to the story,' screenwriter Darryl Wharton-Rigby told the BBC.
'But it's really about the journey of the guy who actually is entrusted to deliver the money and what happens if he doesn't get it there in time. 'I actually want the guy who's the hero of the story to be from Ghana. I think there should be a hero who is African telling the story.'

The players reportedly received about £60,000 after refusing to train and Wharton-Rigby is keen to make the film as realistic as possible. 'It's very much truth stranger than fiction,' he added. 'I saw footage of the police cars taking the money on the highway and you can just see that scene playing out in your mind with someone like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the guy having to save the day. You can see all kinds of mayhem happening on the highway.

'It's 50-50 as to whether it will get made, we're still at the early stages so we're going to take it one step at a time. Hopefully we can write a great script and get someone who is attached to it. It's a fascinating story and I think audiences internationally would really take to it.

'I can see the poster now - lots of soccer balls, a stadium and a guy on the run.'

Source: BBC