Dwayne Johnson wrestling film to be made into stage musical

Fighting With My Family, the 2019 film starring Florence Pugh and Dwayne Johnson, is being adapted as a stage musical, producers have confirmed.

The film followed the true story of British pro wrestler Saraya Knight, known in the ring as Paige, as she built her career and made her way to WWE.

Johnson, whose own production company is collaborating on the musical, said the story "feels exceptionally well suited for the stage".

The Hollywood star said that making the film with director Stephen Merchant had been a "truly special experience", adding: "His brilliant work deserves this new act."

The film was inspired by a 2012 Channel 4 documentary called The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family, which followed Knight and her brother and parents, who are also professional wrestlers.

Her father Patrick is known in the ring as "Rowdy" Ricky Knight, while her mother Julia uses a variety of stage names including Sweet Saraya - the same name they gave their daughter.

The new stage adaptation is being masterminded by Tilted Musicals, the production company run by Girls Aloud songwriter Miranda Cooper and producer Sam Hodges.

Cooper told BBC News the musical will be "not just for wrestling fans - we want it to go way beyond that", adding that the subject matter lends itself well to the stage.

"Wrestling is so theatrical, you've got your heroes and villains, its all about storytelling and everyone is playing a heightened version of themselves in the ring," she said.

"But watching the film and the documentary, the themes are so much about family, community and belonging. They are kind of off-the-wall characters, but there's so much love."

The musical was the brainchild of Jon Brittain, who will be writing the adaptation with a soundtrack composed by Cooper and Nick Coler.

The pair are best known for their work with songwriting outfit Xenomania, who wrote songs for Sugababes, Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys and Girls Aloud.

Florence Pugh starred in the film as Paige, a goth outsider who is raised in a chaotic but loving British wrestling dynasty.

An exciting opportunity ultimately takes her from her home in Norwich to the world of WWE in the US.

Along the way, Paige and her brother Zak have a chance encounter with Dwayne Johnson, who plays himself in the film and offers the pair advice on their careers.

Johnson, who also served as a producer on the film, was a hugely successful wrestler known as The Rock for many years before he pivoted to a career as a box office star.

Hodges tells BBC News that director Merchant was "incredibly enthused from the beginning" about the idea.

"He has been phenomenally supportive and generous, sharing scripts and things that didn't make it into the movie, sharing his videos of experiences with the family it's based on," he explained.