Adrian Smith is hired to 'help us consult and design the tallest and most advanced building on earth.'
- Jun 20, 2018
AceShowbiz - The Rock a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson turned to world-renowned architect Adrian Smith to help design the stunning high-rise building he scales in new action epic Skyscraper.
The wrester-turned-actor portrays former FBI agent and amputee Will Sawyer in the new disaster thriller, in which he has to save his loved ones from their home in the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong after it comes under attack by terrorists.
The new project was written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, with Johnson also serving as a producer, and the team of filmmakers called in one of the field's best experts to turn their building design dreams into a reality onscreen.
"Cool SKYSCRAPER movie fact," Dwayne shared on Instagram. "We hired Adrian Smith - one of the most notable architects in the world to help us consult and design the tallest and most advanced building on earth. THE PEARL".
Sharing Smith's credentials, he boasted, "Adrian famously designed the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (legit tallest building in the world) as well as the building that will eventually surpass that - the Jeddah Tower, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia".
Dwayne went on to call fictional The Pearl "The Perfect Building".
Meanwhile, the action man has also given a special shout out to real-life amputee Jeff Glasbrenner, who helped to inspire Dwayne as he brought his character to life for the movie.
"As you know, #SKYSCRAPER is my homage to DIE HARD & THE TOWERING INFERNO. Movies of a vintage genre that inspired generations," he explained in another social media post. "It was also important, to anchor my character with a quality we can all relate to - the ability to overcome odds".
"(Glasbrenner) and wounded amputee warriors around the world were my inspiration for the character of, Will Sawyer," he revealed. "Jeff was the first American amputee to climb Everest and has become an inspiration to so many around the world, including myself.
"Salute of respect to you brother and thank you for giving me your time, passion, strength & perspective. And thank you for inspiring a generation.. and kicking a**!".
Dwayne previously worked with Rawson on 2016 action comedy Central Intelligence, and they will reteam once more for the forthcoming Red Notice, in which the muscle-bound star will feature alongside Gal Gadot.
