The actor said he christened the last name of his character Okoye after his all-time favourite NFL player Christian Okoye, a Nigerian-American and former American football fullback for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992.
Christian Emeka Okoye, nicknamed the Nigerian Nightmare, who was born August 16, 1961, was known for his powerful running style and ability to break tackles.
Okoye’s six seasons in the NFL saw a league rushing title in 1989, two Pro Bowl appearances (1989, 1991)), and three playoff appearances. He ended his NFL career due to multiple injuries.
Johnson, confirmed the character on his Twitter handle @TheRock on Wednesday, in his response to Wale Adetona’s (@iSlimfit) tweet who expressed delight on the positive spotlighting of Nigeria in Hollywood, stating: “This year of Nigerians in Hollywood! The Rock stars as Davis Okoye in #RampageTheMovie.”
Rampage, set to be released on April 13, is an American science fiction monster film directed by Brad Peyton, loosely based on the video game series of the same name by Midway Games.
Dwayne Johnson stars as primatologist Davis Okoye, a man who keeps people at a distance but shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, incredibly rare albino silverback gorilla who has been in his care since he rescued the young orphan from poachers.
But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry mutates this gentle ape into a raging creature of enormous size.
To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered animals. As these newly created alpha predators tear across North America, destroying everything in their path.
Okoye teams with discredited geneticist Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.
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