From Legendary Entertainment, Universal Pictures, and Director Rawson Marshall Thurber, Skyscraper stars Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson and hit cinemas worldwide this July.

Dwayne Johnson’s character,  Will Sawyer, a security consultant must save his family and clear his name as The Pearl, the world’s tallest – and supposedly safest – building comes under attack.

Method Studios served as a VFX vendor helping to craft some of the most memorable sequences, including Sawyer’s supercrane climb and epic leap to The Pearl at 100 stories up.

Led by Method VFX Supervisor Jason Billington, the pulse-pounding sequence required extensive research and photoreal asset creation. Model Supervisor Graham Olsen started by visiting a crane supplier to capture reference photography of various parts, textures, and joints. The Method team then designed and built 3D models for both the supercrane and adjacent building, as well as crafted full CG environments of the surrounding Hong Kong skyline. In addition to shot-specific visual effects, Method also incorporated environmental effects such as embers along with smoke and heat haze throughout, further building on proprietary workflow tools originally developed on 2016’s Deepwater Horizon, for which Billington earned a Best VFX Academy Award® nomination.

“The crane climb sequence was essential because it drives the plot forward as Sawyer gets closer to reuniting with his family, so it was important that the action felt believable to carry that emotional tension,” explained Billington.

Though the film presents many extraordinary circumstances, we were careful to make sure the action felt authentic – and of course Dwayne Johnson’s charisma helps.

Method also handled the sequence where Sawyer smashes through a glass window 200 stories up in order to climb down the exterior of The Pearl to access a crucial control panel. They also helped create the scene where a helicopter crashes and explodes inside The Pearl’s helipad hangar. In addition to major action sequences, Method crafted Sawyer’s CG prosthetic leg seen throughout the film, based on an asset developed by ILM.

Method’s sister company, Stereo D, handled the film’s 3D conversion.

Image courtesy of Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC, and Universal Pictures

About Skyscraper:

Global icon Dwayne Johnson leads the cast of Legendary’s Skyscraper, now in theaters worldwide, as former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer, who now assesses security for skyscrapers.  On assignment in China he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he’s been framed for it.  A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who is trapped inside the building…above the fire line.

Written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (Central Intelligence, We’re the Millers), the action-thriller is produced by Beau Flynn (San Andreas, Baywatch), Johnson, Thurber and Hiram Garcia (San Andreas, Central Intelligence).

Skyscraper’s Executive Producers are Dany Garcia (Baywatch, Ballers), Wendy Jacobson (San Andreas), Eric McLeod (Kong: Skull Island, Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Eric Hedayat (The Great Wall, Real Steel).

www.skyscrapermovie.com