TNT announced today that they’ve greenlit “The Hero” (working title), a new reality-competition series that will set out to find the next great hero. TNT has ordered eight episodes of the series from Ben Silverman’s multimedia entertainment studio Electus and its 5×5 Media exclusive producers. “The Hero” will be headlined by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who will executive-produce with his producing partner, Dany Garcia. The series is set to premiere on TNT in summer 2013.
“The Hero” will bring 10 ordinary people together in a house and then assign them various missions that will test their brains, their brawn and even their morality. The show will challenge the competitors to prove they’ve got what it takes to be heroes, pushing them to the limits to see what they are willing (and able) to overcome, undergo or sacrifice for the sake of their fellow contestants.
Johnson will serve as the show’s mentor and motivator, encouraging the contestants to reach far beyond their personal limits. In the end, one player will rise above the others, overcoming obstacles he/she never thought possible in order to become a true hero.
In a unique twist on the reality-competition format, “The Hero” will incorporate social media into every facet of the show, from pre-production and casting to on-location shooting and live broadcasts. Through the show’s interactive digital platform, viewers will be able to vote each week for the contestant they consider to be the most heroic. The series will also leverage the power of Johnson’s enormous social-media following, which includes more than 10 million fans through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
“Dany and I couldn’t be more excited to enter into our first official foray in TV production,” said Dwayne Johnson. “‘The Hero’ speaks to everything I believe in when it comes to challenging ourselves, to becoming better people every day and to making the right choices while growing from the wrong ones. Bridging the digital and physical world on the small screen in a way that’s never been done before will enable fans to use social media and on-screen decision making to determine the fate of the show’s contestants, and our goal is to make each TV moment impactful and exciting.”
“‘The Hero’ is a great fit for TNT’s drama fans, whether they enjoy stories with a lot of action, suspense and danger, or stories that offer inspiration through the heroic actions of everyday people,” said Michael Wright, President, Head of Programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “We’re also very excited about the extensive social-media aspect of ‘The Hero,’ which will engage viewers on an entirely new level and develop a strong emotional investment in the competitors and challenges.”
“The Rock is the embodiment of ‘The Hero’ and an inspirational superstar with an unwavering moral compass,” said Ben Silverman, Founder and Chairman of Electus. “‘The Hero’ will deliver on his brand as an incredible action-filled series that test the limits of real people in extraordinary circumstances while also activating the Rock and Turner’s audience with seamless digital and social media tie-ins. TNT is the ideal platform partner, with incredible characters and heroes from the worlds of fiction and sports, as well as a unique capacity to deliver an enthusiastic audience of drama fans.”
Johnson has become a worldwide entertainment brand with a multi-hyphenate global reach as a successful actor, sports entertainer, social media maven, film and now, television producer. Johnson’s upcoming film credits include G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Pain & Gain, Empire State and Fast & Furious 6.
For information about being a contestant on “The Hero,” send your name, contact information and a photo to: [email protected].
