Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is confident he’s figured out how to make a video game movie that doesn’t suck.
Dwayne is gearing up for the release of monster blockbuster Rampage, which is based on the ’80s arcade game.
The film is the latest in a long line of video game movie adaptations, with not all faring well at the box office. When asked what the secret is to making a good gaming feature, Dwayne said it was all about seeking the right feedback from motion capture experts.
“We went to those filmmakers (Planet of the Apes and Lord of the Rings) and those ones who made that company, we went to Weta (design and effects company) as it relates to The Lord of the Rings and the new Avatars, and the motion-capture company,” he shared with Collider. “So I think going back to your question, the ‘what’s the secret to it?’ It would have to be trying to find those filmmakers who really did it right, those department heads and those companies who did it right, see if they responded to the script, which they did.
“Because I think something like this in their minds, which are way smarter than I am, especially when it comes to tech script, this is the kind of script where they’re like, ‘Oh yeah.'”
Rampage boasts an A-list line-up, with Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Joe Manganiello joining Dwayne.
Motion capture specialist Jason Liles stars as Dwayne’s on-screen best friend, gorilla George, with the Fast & Furious star gaining a new-found admiration for the movement process.
“I can see why when, I think, the second to last Planet of the Apes came out, where the discussion of an Oscar nomination started happening, and that dialogue started happening filling up our rooms throughout Hollywood,” he smiled. “Now I get it and I understand. I thought I got it before, understood it then with Andy Serkis and what he was doing, but wow. When you look at some of these guys, it’s spectacular.”
