The Rock has come to White Rock, but he won't be stepping into the wrestling ring.
The popular actor/wrestler is in town for the filming of an updated version of the 1970s movie Walking Tall.
The production crew set up shop at Crescent Road's Elgin Hall, transformed into Ferguson Hall for the purposes of the film, which takes place in the fictional town of Ferguson, Washington.
The Rock - whose real name is Dwayne Johnson - stars as special forces veteran Chris Vaughn, who returns to his hometown after a 15-year absence.
Things have changed a bit in Ferguson, where Vaughn's high school rival Jay Hamilton, played by Minority Report's Neil McDonough, runs a seedy casino where a mill used to be located. Vaughn runs for sheriff, is elected, then gets busy cleaning up the once placid town with the help of his deputy Ray, played by Johnny Knoxville of MTVs Jackass.
The original Walking Tall is based on a true story in small town Tennessee where sheriff Buford Pusser, a former wrestler, battles through adversity to clean up a town gone bad.
Joe Don Baker starred in the first film, which spawned a pair of sequels starring Bo Svenson.
"I've seen all three, and the first was my favourite," said Johnson, who recently completed filming alongside veteran actor Christopher Walken for the upcoming feature film The Rundown.
Although the movie follows the same basic storyline, the latest version of Walking Tall is more of an update than a remake, says the movie's publicist David Linck, who previously worked with Johnson during filming of The Scorpion King.
Walking Tall will be the fourth movie featuring the Rock, who had a brief stint with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League before becoming a star attraction
in the World Wrestling Federation.
The Rock hasn't seen action in the ring since April when he returned as a bad guy - a role that lasted about two weeks before transforming back into one of wrestling's "good
guys."
He speaks fondly of the past several years, and particularly recalls the support of wrestling fans during his rise to superstardom.
"I really have been lucky to accomplish everything I have."
At this point, the Rock's wrestling future is a little uncertain due to a budding acting career, which is proving to be a time-consuming profession. Filming for Walking Tall
began a couple of weeks ago in Squamish and will continue in the Vancouver area until mid-September.
This isn't the Rock's first trip to the Lower Mainland, where he made his CFL debut at B.C. Place in 1995. He has nothing but positive things to say about the people he has
met in the Vancouver area.
"Vancouver - and I'm not just saying it - has the nicest people," Johnson said. "Everywhere I go, at restaurants and the gym, the people are just great."
He is equally impressed with White Rock, which he enjoyed with wife Dany and two-year-old daughter Simone.
The Rock Visits White Rock