Action superstar Dwayne Johnson headlines Universal Pictures and Legendary’s epic action thriller Skyscraper. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber describes it as Die Hard meets Towering Inferno set in Hong Kong—a love letter to the action movies the director grew up watching. “I wanted to make a big movie that demands a big-screen experience, with the biggest movie star in the world driving every bit of it,” he says.
To that end, Thurber is proudest of the fact that his film isn’t based on a comic book; it’s not a reboot, remake, prequel or sequel. “Skyscraper is an original idea, one that guarantees the audience won’t know what’s going to happen next. I wanted to make something with Dwayne that audiences have to experience firsthand in the theater, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”
Johnson explains why he was drawn to the project, one he calls “easily, the most physically demanding role I’ve ever played.” He notes: “The number-one anchor with audiences all around the world is the bond of family. Regardless of race or culture or class or religion, the ideology of family is one everyone relates to. There’s something very visceral about a family being torn apart, and the parents doing everything they can to protect their young. That’s always been a special anchor for us in Skyscraper, and for us to explore this on the canvas of film makes it so relevant to people.”
