There was a Hercules film that hit theatres a few months ago, maybe more. It didn't do well, probably because the title role wasn't played by the Rock, better known these days as Dwayne Johnson.

Johnson plays the half-man, half-god in the upcoming movie, "Hercules: The Thracian Wars," set to release in July. He tweeted action photos of himself on Monday in anticipation of the trailer's Tuesday release, according to Entertainment Wise.

Say what you want about Rock, but the man consistently reaches a certain quality in his movies. They'll probably never make the Oscars, but they're usually watchable and sometimes even more (personal favorites: "The Rundown" and "Walking Tall").

It took the muscle-bound Johnson eight months of training to prepare his body for the role. A decade or so ago, that period might have been cut in half. Now that he's 41, resembling half a Greek god takes time.

"It's incredible, he's up every morning at 3:45 right on the treadmill, then it was right to the gym for hours," producer Beau Flynn told Entertainmentwise. "And then it was to the makeup chair, then shooting all day in the heat. And repeat that for 90 days."

Even past 40, Johnson told USA Today of the moment he felt born to play the character of Hercules.

"It's when Hercules breaks through the chains and becomes the demi-god he was born to be," he said. "I was actually yelling with all the power I could muster, 'I am Hercules!' I gave it my all and made myself pass out every time we did it. But I honestly felt in that moment that I was born to play this role."

"Hercules: Thracian Wars" will follow the graphic comic book story of the same name, which could mean the movie has a better chance at critical success. (see: "Sin City," "Watchmen," "300," etc.).