Everyone’s Suddenly Watching This Forgotten Dwayne Johnson Adventure Film on Netflix—Here's Why

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had his fair share of critical acclaim and box office smashes, with many action and adventure films on his loaded resume that have positioned him as one of Hollywood’s top earners.

And while Johnson may experience plenty of success in real time with his releases, he is also proving that his films have staying power. The latest example? His 2012 film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, the sequel to Brendan Fraser's 2008 film Journey to the Center of the Earth. Also starring Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson (the only actor from the original film who reprised his role) and Vanessa Hudgens, Journey 2 was a hit at the time of its release, grossing $335 million on a $79 million budget.

Now, 13 years later, the movie is experiencing a second wave of success, positioning itself in the eighth spot on Netflix’s global top ten for the week of August 4. According to Tudum, Journey 2 recorded 3.7 million views and 5.8 million hours viewed—impressive stats for a movie that was released over a decade ago. The original 2008 flick was based on Jules Verne's 1864 novel of the same title, and brought back almost an entirely new cast for the 2012 follow-up. 

In it, the titular character, Sean Anderson (Hutcherson), receives a coded distress signal on what’s supposed to be a vacant island where nobody exists. Undeterred by any potential concern of going to the island, Sean’s new stepfather (Johnson) accompanies him on a trip to the South Pacific, where they team up with a helicopter pilot and his daughter (Hudgens) to find the island and rescue its sole human inhabitant.