Young Rock stars spotted filming in a transformed karate gym in Wynnum in Brisbane’s bayside

A karate venue in Brisbane’s bayside was transformed into a 1980s bodybuilding gym for NBC series Young Rock on Tuesday, with the actor playing late wrestling champion Rocky Johnson spotted for the first time with a young Dwayne Johnson.

The actors playing a young Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and his father, late wrestler Rocky Johnson, were spotted in character for the first time as Young Rock filming moved to Brisbane’s bayside.

A film crew for the NBC series set up in Wynnum on Tuesday, rebranding Fox St venue Sports Karate Australia as a 1980s bodybuilding gym called “Sweat Temple”.

Excited locals watched on as American actor Joseph Lee Anderson, who portrays wrestling champion Rocky, escorted Adrian Groulx, who plays 10-year-old Dwyane, into the gym.

Young Rock actors Adrian Groulx as a young Dwayne Johnson and Joseph Lee Anderson as Rocky Johnson film scenes at Wynnum, Brisbane. Picture: Nigel Wesley

Joseph Lee Anderon as Rocky Johnson filming Young Rock in Wynnum, Brisbane. Picture: Nigel Wesley

A number of actors dressed in similar retro gym gear to Anderson were spotted walking in and out of the venue while vintage cars lined the street to recreate the decade.

It comes after film crews took over Carlos Naples Pizza Restaurant in Strathpine earlier this month, where Bradley Constant, who plays Dwayne at 15, filmed scenes working at the venue.

Filming also took place outside Wicked Brew Coffee in Capalaba and both an apartment complex and The Tackle Warehouse in Camp Hill.

The 11-part TV series follows the world’s highest paid actor’s formative years and will be screened throughout the US.

Australian Uli Latukefu cast as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in Young Rock

A vintage car and “Sweat Temple” sign were visible on the Young Rock film set in Wynnum on Tuesday. Picture: Instagram/ @lilash91

Johnson shared a video to his Instagram at the weekend announcing that the show, on which he is an executive producer, was in production in Brisbane.

“Young Rock has officially begun filming!” Johnson wrote in the caption of his Instagram post.

“Our new, wildly funny and unbelievable show for NBC, explores my true life events during my formative years from growing up in the surreal and tough world of pro wrestling to being a broke kleptomaniac to hanging out in honky tonks at 15yrs old in Nashville and deciding I was gonna be an outlaw country singer.”

Young Rock as well as two other NBC series have shifted filming to Brisbane as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as generous filming grants and tax breaks offered by both the Queensland and Australian Governments.

The three productions are expected to inject $140 million into the local economy and create 3,000 jobs.