As far as careers goes, Dwayne Johnson has built out several. Actor, athlete, entrepreneur, wrestler. Now get ready for Dwayne Johnson, true crime author.
Crown, the imprint under a division of Penguin Random House, has preemptively acquired a new true-life crime book to be co-authored by Johnson and award-winning investigative journalist Nick Bilton.
The non-fiction book will chronicle the mostly untold story of a fierce and defiant Hawaiian crime syndicate known as The Company that battled outsider gangs and corporate invaders during the 1960s and 1970s. And it will shine a spotlight on Wilford “Nappy” Pulawa — the first and only Hawaiian mob boss in history.
The book deal occurs in tandem with a movie deal inked last week with 20th Century Studios and involves Hollywood heavyweights Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt, in addition to Johnson and Bilton. The project was born from the close, ‘ohana-like bond between Blunt and Johnson, who worked closely on Jungle Cruise, with the original idea sparked by Blunt. From there, Johnson and Bilton expanded the concept into a sweeping narrative and investigative book, uncovering the hidden history behind what was one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in America.
Johnson’s Polynesian roots, his formative years in Hawaii, and family ties make the telling of this story a deeply personal endeavor. Johnson and Bilton jumped deep into the volcano to explore tens of thousands of documents, from FBI files to court transcripts, and tracked down those who lived through this hidden chapter of American crime history for personal interviews. For the duo, it was a way to recount Hawaii’s systematic theft by outsiders through the lens of this unique era.
“This isn’t just a gangster story, it’s about power, identity, and what was taken from the Hawaiian people,” Johnson said in a statement. “What drew me to this project wasn’t just the action and the intensity; for me, this story hits close to home. It’s not just history, it’s personal. My own family lived through parts of this era, and I’ve seen firsthand the complicated legacy it left behind. Telling this story is a way to honor our Polynesian culture, and honor where we come from and share the untold history of what really happened in paradise.”
While still a ruthless criminal who rose to control a vast underworld on the islands, Pulawa stood apart from the traditional criminal elements. The book will show his singular focus of protecting his people, who were under both physical and cultural attack from Asia and America. He watched as his people’s land, culture, and heritage was systematically taken and exploited by outsiders, from American corporations to powerful Asian crime syndicates.
Driven by a profound determination to reclaim control and preserve his Hawaiian identity, Pulawa built an unprecedented criminal empire in the late 1960s through the 1970s. Known for his signature aloha shirts and fresh orchid leis, he resorted to unmatched levels of violence because the stakes were personal: his people’s very survival. The book will show how Pulawa ascended to power rivaling mainland crime legends like Luciano, Capone and Gotti, until it all dramatically unraveled.
“This is an astonishing story filled with jaw-dropping twists, devastating cultural stakes, and the kind of unforgettable characters that writers dream about but rarely find outside the pages of fiction,” stated Bilton, the best-selling author of Hatching Twitter and American Kingpin and producer of the Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley. “It’s exactly the type of true story that draws me in most, one where you can’t easily separate heroes from villains, and every character forces you to reconsider what you thought you knew about right and wrong.”
Bilton continued, “Working with Dwayne, Emily Blunt and the incredible Gillian Blake at Crown on this book has been extraordinary, like excavating a lost history that was never meant to be found. What we have uncovered isn’t just a story about crime, it’s about power, identity, and the brutal cost of survival in the war for paradise.”
The deal was negotiated by Jay Mandel and Erin Malone of WME and Blake, who is the executive vp, publisher and editor in chief of Crown. Blake will also serve as the book’s editor.
“How often these days do we come across an epic and untold American story?” Blake posited proudly. “This is one of those rare moments, and what makes this book even more special is the talent involved: Dwayne Johnson, with his unique and exciting storytelling ability and intimate roots to Hawaiian culture, and Nick Bilton, one of the best investigative journalists writing today.”
Added Blake: “Crown is setting its sights, like its namesake, to the top. This book will take its place alongside classic organized crime bestsellers like Mario Puzo’s The Godfather and Nicholas Pileggi’s Wiseguy, while also illuminating a historical period when the fight to preserve the Hawaiian way of life for its people turned deadly.”
One of the big names in narrative non-fiction, Bilton has written for publications such as Vanity Fair and The New York Times and earned a “Best Book of the Year” honor from The Wall Street Journal and Audible for American Kingpin. He created the Netflix documentary Biggest Heist Ever, based on his “Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde” magazine feature for Vanity Fair.
Johnson actually made his book writing debut back in 2000 with the publishing of his memoir The Rock Says…, which became a New York Times best-seller. The Hawaiian crime book will be a far cry from the tone of that account, written before Johnson’s rise as a Hollywood A-lister. He will next be seen in the upcoming A24 drama The Smashing Machine co-starring Blunt, and written and directed by Benny Safdie.
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