A few months ago we reported on the news that New Line was moving forward with a sequel to Journey of the Center of the Earth with Josh Hutcherson set to return while the first film’s star, Brendan Fraser, would not be coming back due to scheduling conflicts.  It now seems that New Line has found a new actor to headline the film with Dwayne Johnson.  Heat Vision reports that Johnson is in negotiations to star as “the boyfriend of Hutcherson's mom, who Hutcherson is forced to bring on a trip to a mythical and monstrous island to find his missing grandfather.”

Dwayne Johnson is set to appear in the 5th installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise and you can see him next in this Fall’s Faster.  Meanwhile, director Brad Peyton (Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore) plans to start production on the 3D sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth, now titled Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, in late October for a Fall 2011 release.