Dwayne Johnson shares why 'The Odd Couple' with Kevin Hart fell apart

We came so close to getting Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in "The Odd Couple."

Johnson revealed on the "Moana" red carpet in New York that he's been working toward making his Broadway debut for the last three years. He wanted it to be with his bud Hart.

"We should've been great. Kevin is my best friend. I love him to death, and the truth is, he's so booked for the next three to five years," Johnson told People on July 9. "That's his schedule, that's a reality. I totally get it. And I love it and I respect him for that."

That won't keep Johnson from pursuing his stretch goal. "We do 'Jumanji,' which we'll promote that at the end of the year, but I'm not letting that dream go," he said.

Both Johnson, 54, and his frequent co-star Hart, 47, are returning for the upcoming movie sequel "Jumanji: Open World."

The WWE champion pro-wrestler, now starring as Disney's live-action demigod Maui, says he's still scouting around for an opportunity with theatrical producer Jeffrey Seller and "Hamilton" and "Moana" director Thomas Kail.

"Maybe it's The Odd Couple with Jeffrey. I don't know, maybe it's a musical and I could run around singing in keys that don't exist," Johnson told People. "I might do a little dance. I might snatch my waist a little bit. We'll see."

The action star says he's grown comfortable with singing since his big vocal showcase in 2016's original "Moana," in which he sang the signature song "You're Welcome," co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

"Now, I'm not nervous at all," he told USA TODAY at the new film's world premiere on July 7 in Los Angeles. He says he's compelled to sing the song to the young "Moana" fans that he meets. "The kids are always like, 'He's not Maui!' And I start singing, 'You're Welcome,' and they're like, 'It is Maui. Sing more!' And it's like, here we go.

"Fortunately," Johnson adds. "I love singing that song."

Johnson received some of the best reviews of his acting career last fall for his transformation into former mixed-martial arts champion Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie's sports drama "The Smashing Machine," including a best actor nomination at the Golden Globes.

Contributing: Bryan Alexander

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dwayne Johnson shares why 'The Odd Couple' with Kevin Hart fell apart

Reporting by Kim Willis, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 12:22 PM.