Production began today in Atlanta on New Line’s adaption of Midway’s video game, ‘Rampage’. Not only has the synopsis been released, the first photo from the set has been unleashed by star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson via his Instagram account.
In our story we have three animals (gorilla, crocodile and a wolf) who fall victim to evil genetic editing, rapidly changing every strand of their DNA so they grow, evolve and mutate. Everything becomes amplified.. their size, strength, speed, agility.. and violent aggression.
One of the animals infected – a rare Albino gorilla named, George, is my best friend.
George, is played by 6’9 @tallie7487, (Jason Liles, pictured here). Jason has been studying gorillas for months now preparing for this motion capture role. Gorilla movements, body language, and all emotions – joy, pain, sadness, love, aggression etc. It’s insane when you get around this man and how he’s able to brilliantly embody a gorilla. This is the most fascinating advanced VFX/motion cap process I’ve ever worked with in my career. Incredible learning curve for me.
We have the best mo-cap team in the world (WETA Digital) working on our gigantic RAMPAGE MONSTERS and you’ll get a taste of this new technology in the upcoming WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES as well as James Cameron’s AVATARS.
With all the cool advanced technology in our movie, the #1 thing you’re gonna experience when you watch it, is FUN.
Because when my best friend, George no happy, then me no happy. And when me no happy.. bad people become our lunch.
Johnson stars alongside Walking Dead actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Joe Manganiello, P.J. Byrne, Jake Lacy, Breanne Haill, Marley Shelton, Jack Quaid, and Matt Gerald.
In Rampage, Primatologist Davis Okoye (Johnson), a man who keeps people at a distance, shares an unshakable bond with George, the extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who has been in his care since birth. But a rogue genetic experiment gone awry transforms this gentle ape into a raging monster. To make matters worse, it’s soon discovered there are other similarly altered alpha predators. As these newly created monsters tear across North America, destroying everything in their path, Okoye teams with a discredited genetic engineer to secure an antidote, fighting his way through an ever-changing battlefield, not only to halt a global catastrophe but to save the fearsome creature that was once his friend.
Brad Payton is directing from the screenplay penned by Ryan Engle and Adam Sztykiel, based on the story by Ryan Engle, inspired by the video game. VFX supervisor Colin Strause (San Andreas) and five-time Acadamy Award-winning fx company Weta Digital (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) will be bringing the creatures to life.
Rampage will open in theaters nationwide on April 20, 2018.
