Behind the Production of ‘Black Adam,’ starring Dwayne Johnson

October 6, 2022 11:48 pm

DWAYNE JOHNSON on the set of New Line Cinema’s action adventure “BLACK ADAM,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Hiram Garcia

From New Line Cinema, Dwayne Johnson stars in the action-adventure “Black Adam.” The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the DC antihero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra.

(L-r) Director JAUME COLLET-SERRA and PIERCE BROSNAN on the set of New Line Cinema’s action adventure “BLACK ADAM,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Frank Masi

In ancient Kahndaq, the slave Teth Adam was gifted the almighty powers of the gods. But he used those powers for vengeance and was imprisoned. Now, 5,000 years later, he is freed and once again wields his dark sense of justice onto the world.

(L-r) ALDIS HODGE and Director JAUME COLLET-SERRA on the set of New Line Cinema’s action adventure “BLACK ADAM,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Frank Masi

Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, Mohammed Amer, Bodhi Sabongui, and Pierce Brosnan as Doctor Fate.

(L-r) PIERCE BROSNAN as Dr. Fate and ALDIS HODGE as Hawkman in New Line Cinema’s action adventure “BLACK ADAM,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Frank Masi

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Tom Meyer, editors Mike Sale and John Lee, costume designers Kurt and Bart, Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer, and composer Lorne Balfe.

Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Dwayne Johnson, Quintessa Swindell, Noah Centineo, Mohammed Amer, Sarah Shahi at Black Adam Global Tour in Los Angeles (Eric Charbonneau)

While principal photography on “Black Adam” began filming in early 2021, pre-production preparations for what the filmmaking team envisioned for “Black Adam” would begin as early as 2019, with visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer and production designer Tom Meyer taking a preemptive deep dive into all aspects of the Black Adam landscape and its characters to determine how the titular character would be fully realized on screen as DC’s newest big-screen hero.

Production spanned the spring and summer, filming on multiple soundstages and the backlot of Trilith Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Cast and crew traveled to Middle Georgia to spend a week filming in a sand and gravel pit. Vast exterior sets of Shiruta would fill the studio backlot, replete with shops, restaurants, apartment buildings, and speeding cars, dovetailed with the ruins of the country’s past.

Soundstages would house the interior sets for the sprawling Central Market, Adrianna’s apartment building, the ancient Rock of Eternity, Hawkman’s high-tech Hawk Cruiser, an underwater supermax prison, the ancient Throne room, as well as the LED walls which realistically simulated flying and the cityscape and coastal regions of Kahndaq.

The film will debut in North America on October 21, 2022.

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