Production is underway on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s next film, the video game adaptation Rampage.
Today, the actor shared a new image from the set spotlighting one of the film’s motion capture performers, the 6’9 Jason Liles, who plays a silverback gorilla named George, Dwayne Johnson’s character Davis’ best friend who is turned into a raging monster after a rogue genetic experiment gone awry.
Dwayne Johnson shared the image in a post on his Facebook page, which also goes into his character’s relationship with George and how the film is utilizing WETA Digital’s advanced motion capture technology. You can check out the image along with the caption from his post below.
Day 1. Kicking off production. #RAMPAGE.
In our story we have three animals 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 Jason Liles, pictured here. Jason has been studying gorillas for months now preparing for this motion capture role. Gorillas 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 embody a gorilla. This is the most fascinating advanced VFX/motion cap process I’ve ever worked with in my career.
We have the best mo-cap team in the world (WETA Digital) working on our 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.#Day1#KickingOffProduction #RAMPAGE
The film has been in production since mid-April, but it appears from Dwayne Johnson’s post that today was his first day of shooting.
Directed by Brad Peyton (San Andreas), Rampage stars Dwayne Johnson, Naomi Harris, Joe Manganiello, Malin Akerman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Marley Shelton, Jake Lacy, Breanne Hil, P.J. Byrne, Jack Quaid and Matt Gerald. Here is the official synopsis:
Primatologist Davis Okoye (Dwayne 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.
Rampage is currently slated to hit theaters on April 20, 2018.
Source: Facebook
