Hollywood loves a sure thing. If you stick two of the biggest, most expensive faces on a poster together, the math says you win. Usually. When it comes to Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds movies, the chemistry isn't just about big explosions or that specific brand of "meta" sarcasm Ryan brings to every script he touches. It's about a multi-billion dollar friendship that started way before they were stealing Cleopatra’s eggs on Netflix.
Honestly, everyone remembers Red Notice. It was everywhere in 2021. Netflix basically beat us over the head with the fact that it was their "biggest movie ever." But if you’re looking for the next time these two will share a frame, the situation is... well, it's kinda complicated.
The Secret History of the "Matching Tattoos"
Most people think their first collaboration was that heist flick. It wasn’t.
Back in 2019, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw dropped a massive surprise on audiences. Ryan Reynolds showed up as Agent Locke, a CIA operative who is basically obsessed with Dwayne’s character, Luke Hobbs. He’s the guy who talks about stabbing people with bricks and claims he and Hobbs have matching chest tattoos.
Director David Leitch, who also directed Deadpool 2, basically just called Ryan and asked him to "spice up" some boring exposition. Ryan did what he does: he rewrote the scenes, added a bunch of weird jokes about Game of Thrones, and created a character that felt like Deadpool if he had a government clearance and a slightly more disturbing man-crush on The Rock.
The internet went nuts. We saw them post side-by-side photos of their "matching" ink on Instagram (Ryan’s was fake, Dwayne’s is very much not). That 10-minute cameo did more for the hype of a potential team-up than any traditional marketing ever could.
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Red Notice and the $200 Million Gamble
When Red Notice finally hit, it was a weird moment for cinema. You had Gal Gadot, Ryan Reynolds, and Dwayne Johnson in a movie that felt like it was written by an algorithm that had seen Indiana Jones and Ocean's Eleven once while scrolling TikTok.
It worked, though. Or at least the numbers say it did.
People love to bash it for being "generic," but the chemistry between Nolan Booth (Reynolds) and John Hartley (Johnson) carried the whole thing. You’ve got the stoic, massive "straight man" in Johnson and the motor-mouthed thief in Reynolds. It’s a classic dynamic. But here we are in 2026, and the question everyone keeps asking is: Where the heck is the sequel?
The Status of Red Notice 2: Why the Delay?
You've probably seen the "leaked" trailers on YouTube. Most of them are fake—AI-generated concepts or fan edits using clips from Black Adam and The Adam Project. Don’t get fooled.
Netflix actually greenlit Red Notice 2 and Red Notice 3 to be shot back-to-back all the way back in 2022. Gal Gadot even confirmed she’d read a script and that it was "whoo!"—her words, not mine. But Hollywood schedules are a nightmare.
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- Dwayne’s Plate: He’s been buried in the live-action Moana (2026), The Smashing Machine, and trying to figure out where the Jumanji franchise goes next.
- Ryan’s Plate: Between Deadpool & Wolverine and his massive business empire (Mint Mobile, Wrexham AFC, Aviation Gin), the guy barely has time to sleep, let alone fly to Morocco for three months of shooting.
- The Script Factor: There were reports that the scripts were finished by October 2022, but with the strikes and the shifting landscape of streaming, the "back-to-back" plan might have been too ambitious.
Basically, if production doesn't spin up by late 2026, we’re looking at a 2028 release date at the earliest. That’s a long time to keep a "trio" relevant in the fast-paced world of streaming.
The "Cameo" Connection
Even when they aren't co-starring, they are... sorta co-starring.
In Free Guy (2021), Dwayne Johnson has a voice cameo as a bank robber. It’s a tiny "blink and you’ll miss it" moment, but it proves these two are constantly in each other's orbits. They trade favors like normal people trade Pokémon cards.
It’s a smart business move. Every time one pops up in the other’s movie, it fuels the "Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds movies" search query, keeping their brand partnership alive without them having to actually spend 14 hours a day together on a soundstage in Atlanta.
Breaking Down the Box Office and Streaming Power
Let’s look at the raw impact.
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| Movie | Role | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Hobbs & Shaw | Lead / Cameo | $760M+ Global Box Office. Proved the "chemistry" worked. |
| Free Guy | Lead / Voice Cameo | $331M+ Global Box Office. A rare post-pandemic original hit. |
| Red Notice | Co-Leads | 364 Million hours viewed in first 28 days. Netflix record holder. |
The numbers don't lie. Even if critics aren't always in love with the "formulaic" nature of these projects, audiences clearly are. There is a specific comfort in watching a Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds movie. You know exactly what you're getting: high-quality production, some decent quips, and two guys who look like they’re having the time of their lives.
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s this rumor that they don't actually get along because they’re "competitors" for the same kind of roles. That’s nonsense.
In reality, their business models are almost identical. Both have shifted from being just "actors" to being "moguls." They produce their own films through Seven Bucks Productions (Johnson) and Maximum Effort (Reynolds). This gives them total control over the scripts. When they work together, it’s not a director hiring two actors; it’s two production companies merging for a joint venture.
That’s why these movies feel so consistent. They are curated brand experiences.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Movie Buffs
If you’re waiting for more Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds movies, here is how you should actually track the progress without getting lost in the "fake news" cycle:
- Watch the Production Companies: Don't wait for a Netflix press release. Watch the trade reports (Deadline, Variety) for news on Seven Bucks or Maximum Effort. If they announce a "joint production," that’s your sign.
- The "Jumanji" Wildcard: There have been long-standing rumors about Ryan Reynolds joining the Jumanji universe. Given the chemistry in Red Notice, he would be a perfect fit for a new "avatar" role.
- Check Social Media Snark: These two communicate through public roasting. If you see a sudden uptick in them making fun of each other's tequila or gin brands, usually a project announcement is lurking in the shadows.
The reality of 2026 is that the "Movie Star" as we knew it is changing. It's about franchises and partnerships now. While we might have to wait another two years for a full-blown sequel, the "tequila and gin chemistry" (as Dwayne calls it) isn't going anywhere. It’s too profitable to die.
Keep an eye on the late 2026 production schedules. If they don't get Red Notice 2 off the ground by then, we might be looking at a spiritual successor instead—a completely new IP that lets them play different versions of the same characters we already love.