Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has joined the action-thriller PROTECTION, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER director Simon West is helming. Written by Brandon Noonan, the story follows a Mexican security officer who gets wrapped up in a plot to kidnap a U.S. judge's daughter while he's chased by corrupt police, drug kingpins and white collar criminals.

IM Global's Stuart Ford and Robert Lawrence and Mayhem Pictures' Gordon Gray and Marc Ciardi are the producers. Brian Kavanaugh Jones will exec produce with Jib Polhemus co-producing.

Budgeted at $35 million, the film will start shooting this fall in New Mexico.