Dwayne Johnson reflects on Southland Tales’ historically hostile Cannes reaction: “I took it in the gut”

In 2006, Dwayne Johnson traveled to Cannes for the premiere of Southland Tales, a bizarro art-comedy from the white-hot director of Donnie Darko that had the potential to propel him from a middling action star to an adventurous character actor. Richard Kelly’s scattered, confounding flick was, unfortunately, a major flop, prompting boos and mass walk-outs at the festival. Twelve years later, despite finding his foothold in Hollywood, Johnson looks back on the experience with a wince.

“Southland Tales hurt. I took it in the gut,” the sports entertainer-turned-actor said during a Sundance interview that appears in IndieWire. “We all went into that movie having so much trust, and a script that was complex and interesting. At times, you’re like, ‘What the fuck is going on?’ Richard Kelly, who was a good friend, was so passionate about that movie.” To make matters worse, the disastrous screening was followed by a grueling press conference in which the principle cast was called on to answer for what audiences had just seen. For an actor taking the first bold swing of his Hollywood career, it was almost too much to take.