Dwayne Johnson could soon make over $20 million for a new movie as one of the biggest bidding wars Hollywood has seen in years unfolds.

Legendary, New Line, Paramount, Sony and Universal are locked in a multi-million dollar auction for Red Notice, an action comedy that would reteam Johnson with Rawson Marshall Thurber, the writer and director behind his upcoming action movie Skyscraper.

Beau Flynn, who produced Skyscraper, is also on board to produce Red Notice with Johnson and his 7 Bucks Productions partners Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia.

The project hit the town Tuesday and could not have come at a more opportune time for Johnson. The actor is riding high from the surprise massive success of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which has made $859 million worldwide to date, nd Skyscraper enjoyed buzz from the Super Bowl ad that aired Sunday.

Bidding reached a fever pitch by late afternoon Wednesday, with Johnson’s fee crossing the $20 million barrier. Insiders speculated that he could walk away with up to $25 million, depending on the bidding boiling over. Thurber could receive $10 million to write and direct the movie.

Crossing the $20 million mark is a major milestone. While Jennifer Lawrence was paid that amount for starring in Passengers, studios keep actor salaries under that threshold, getting creative in deals that usually see stars receive back-end participation. One exception is sequel deals, in which actors (Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man, Matt Damon for Bourne) have on rare occasion been able to get that fee. Johnson received high-teen millions for Jumanji, according to sources.

Red Notice refers to the highest and most serious of Interpol notices (there are eight) and concerns the arrest of wanted criminals. While details of the plot are unknown, Johnson would play a man who works for the international police agency.

The project is described as a two-hander and comes with a budget between $125 million and $150 million.

While the price tag may seem sky-high, with a star salary not seen in years, Johnson is considered one of the few bankable stars left in an age where Hollywood is obsessed with brands over star power. The actor has proven he can carry comedies and action movies, and even help with animated films, and has an unflappable work ethic.

Not to mention a full plate: In addition to Skyscraper, which opens July 13, Johnson also has New Line’s video adaptation of Rampage, which is set for an April 20 release; a sequel to Jumanji is already in the works and it is a strong possibility that he, along with some of the other stars, will return; and he is due to begin shooting Jungle Cruise for Disney this spring.

WME reps both Johnson and Thurber.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures and Legendary won a heated, multi-studio bidding battle for Red Notice, an original action film with tent pole potential that will be written and directed by Rawson Thurber as a star vehicle for Dwayne Johnson. Pic is a globe-trotting, heist thriller designed as a two-hander for Johnson and another star yet to be set. It is easily the biggest deal for a studio movie Hollywood has seen so far this year.

Universal and Legendary are already teamed on Skyscraper, another pairing between Johnson and Thurber whose first action-packed trailer was unveiled during the Super Bowl. Red Notice becomes another tent pole idea from Thurber, and it’s not surprising the town went wild when they pitched this week: it’s viable new IP with global appeal at a time when branded franchises are harder and harder to come by.

Like Skyscraper, Red Notice is produced by Beau Flynn through his FlynnPictureCo. with Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia through their Seven Bucks Production banner, along with Thurber. Wendy Jacobson is executive producing. Legendary chief Mary Parent and Universal’s top creative execs Donna Langley and Peter Cramer and Jimmy Horowitz were all over this.

The producers came with more than a pitch, and Red Notice will follow a remarkably quick track from pitch to finished movie that can be dated for an event slot in 2020. It was a fully fleshed out package with a writer/director, producing team, the biggest movie star on the planet right now, and a start date. Johnson moved around his schedule and guaranteed he will be front and center to start production spring, 2019. It is quick pace for a tent pole movie, but it follows the same markers as Skyscraper, which followed the same kind of track. Nearly every studio bid on the film, along with Netflix. It came down to Universal, Legendary, Warner Bros, Paramount, and Jumanji maker Sony. It culminated in a teamup of Universal and Legendary, which already have a distribution relationship on Skyscraper. The deal is rich, including a $20 million payday against breakeven gross for Johnson, and an 8-figure salary for Thurber to write and direct. The film will cost upwards of $125 million to make, and another movie star has to be secured. But the foundation is there as Thurber laid out all the beats of the movie to studios this week. He will start writing Monday.

Universal will release Skyscraper July 13. Red Notice goes into production in early 2019. Johnson also has the Fast and the Furious spinoff Hobbs with Universal, a two-hander with Jason Statham. That made Universal more than eager to keep Johnson in the fold. And he and his Seven Bucks partners are producing with Matt Tolmach the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the Jake Kasdan-directed blockbuster that just got a deal for Jumanji cowriters Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner to write the sequel script to reteam Johnson with Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan.

WME reps Johnson and Thurber. Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown reps Johnson and Seven Bucks Productions. Hansen, Jacobson et al rep Thurber and Flynn.

Gal Gadot – who turned to acting after a two-year stint in the Israeli Defense Forces – could be the perfect fit for this potential franchise. As of right now there are no further details on the potential character. What we do know for sure is that the studio is looking for a female in her 30’s to colead this red hot project. Gal’s physicality, ability to speak different languages, and international appeal make her an ideal choice for this role.

Want access to Johnson’s 104 million Instagram followers? It’s going to cost you. The “Rampage” star is asking for a $1 million social-media fee as part of his package for the upcoming “Red Notice”; that includes promoting the film on the likes of Twitter and Facebook.

EXCLUSIVE: Gal Gadot has closed a deal to star opposite Dwayne Johnson in Red Notice, the action comedy which Rawson Marshall Thurber is directing from his original script. Universal Pictures won a heated multi-studio bidding battle in February that ended with a green light commitment in the biggest package deal so far this year. Red Notice will begin shooting April 2019 in Europe and Universal will release the film worldwide June 12, 2020.

This will mark Gadot’s first starring role outside the DC universe since she joined the A-list on Wonder Woman. She is currently shooting Wonder Woman 2, reuniting with director Patty Jenkins. She recently aligned with Sue Kroll on a Warner Bros deal for My Dearest Fidel, a fact-based tale that is a potential star vehicle for her.

Thurber flew to London for less than 30 hours just to pitch Gadot in person for the role.

The film’s log line is being kept under wraps, but it is described as a globe-trotting, action-comedy, heist thriller designed as a three-hander between Johnson, Gadot and another male star who’ll soon be set. Gadot plays a brilliant and mysterious figure in the art world.

Red Notice got studios in a lather because it was regarded as another strong original IP idea by Thurber, in his third collaboration with Johnson, Hollywood’s most bankable tent pole star. Thurber and Johnson most recently completed Skyscraper, which Universal and Legendary are releasing July 13.

Beau Flynn is producing Red Notice through his FlynnPictureCo. with Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia via their Seven Bucks Productions, and Thurber. Legendary is in discussions to partner in Red Notice. Wendy Jacobson of FPC is executive producing.

WME reps Gadot.

With Red Notice, our goal at Seven Bucks Productions was to break down traditional barriers and create a true global event for the audience. Netflix has illustrated that they are the perfect partners to accomplish this goal.“I admire the ambition of Netflix to become one of the biggest movie studios in the world,” Johnson said. “Their original content generates critical acclaim and invites full collaboration on every level of production. Their unbridled enthusiasm for Red Notice is equally matched by their commitment to entertaining audiences on an international scale.“As the landscape of movies, distribution and audience consumption continues to evolve, our Seven Bucks focus is to continue to find the best platform and partners to thrive in this ever changing environment. Director/writer Rawson Thurber has delivered a dynamic script that me and my co-stars and partners-in-heist, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, can’t wait to shoot."

When the movie landed at Netflix, key talent decided that it was imperative that the three stars reach parity in compensation for the scope of their roles. Reynolds will receive $20 million for his acting services. Gadot, whose part is smaller, is expected to make the same after salary and the streamer’s practice of buying out typical “back end” profits stars would make from a theatrical release.

Johnson, however, is set to make millions more given his role as a primary producer. The final numbers could also increase by several million dollars in light of Netflix’s standard practice of paying additional for finishing and delivering films to its service.

Rawson Marshall Thurber, the film’s writer-director-producer who previously worked with Johnson on “Central Intelligence” and “Skyscraper,” is set to make at least $10 million, one of the insiders added.

The budget for “Red Notice” could hit $200 million when additional fees are taken into account, although one insider familiar with the project pegged the budget at roughly $160 million. On Tuesday, Johnson took to social media to thank Netflix for “making its largest commitment ever to a feature film.”