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San Andreas (film)

From Alfawiki
San Andreas
Company typeFilm
IndustryFilm industry
Founded2015; 11 years ago (2015)
FounderBrad Peyton (director), Carlton Cuse (screenplay)
ProductsDisaster thriller film

San Andreas is a 2015 American disaster thriller directed by Brad Peyton with a screenplay by Carlton Cuse, based on a story by Andre Fabrizio and Jeremy Passmore. Featuring Dwayne Johnson in the lead role, the movie portrays a catastrophic earthquake along the San Andreas Fault that wreaks havoc on the U.S. West Coast.

Filming commenced on April 22, 2014, in Queensland, Australia, and wrapped up on July 28 in San Francisco. The movie debuted in Hollywood on May 26, 2015, followed by its U.S. release on May 29. Reviews were mixed; while critics lauded the visual effects and performances from Johnson and Gugino, the storyline received criticism. The production earned $474 million globally against a $110 million budget.

Plot

During an earthquake simulation at Hoover Dam, Caltech seismologist Dr. Lawrence Hayes and his colleague Dr. Kim Park test a new predictive model when an unexpected fault causes a 7.1 magnitude quake that collapses the dam. In the process of saving a child, Park loses his life.

Hayes uncovers that the entire San Andreas Fault is shifting, posing a threat of massive earthquakes along its length. He alerts the public alongside his students Alexi and Phoebe, reporter Serena Johnson, and cameraman Dylan.

A devastating 9.1 magnitude quake strikes Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ray Gaines, an LAFD rescue helicopter pilot going through a divorce from Emma, saves her from a crumbling skyscraper.

Their daughter Blake is visiting San Francisco with Emma’s new partner, engineer Daniel Riddick. When Blake becomes trapped under debris after the earthquake, Daniel abandons her while seeking assistance. British engineer Ben Taylor and his brother Ollie come to Blake’s aid; they reach Chinatown and contact her parents.

Ray and Emma attempt to fly to San Francisco but experience helicopter failure, forcing an emergency landing near Bakersfield amid widespread looting. They seize a truck and later trade it for a small aircraft owned by an elderly couple who help them navigate around a large fissure caused by the fault.

Blake, Ben, and Ollie head toward Nob Hill to signal Ray and Emma after their meeting point at Coit Tower is destroyed by fire. Ray and Emma parachute into AT&T Park just before a historic 9.6 magnitude quake obliterates much of the city.

They commandeer a boat to reach Blake’s group but confront an incoming tsunami in San Francisco Bay. Surviving alongside others, they narrowly avoid a container ship that crashes into the Golden Gate Bridge, resulting in Daniel’s death.

The tsunami capsizes vessels and claims thousands of lives. Blake’s group seeks refuge in "the Gate," a structure Daniel was constructing, but are caught by the wave. As the building collapses trapping Blake underwater, Ray rescues her and performs CPR while Emma pilots their boat through debris to escape.

The survivors regroup at a relief camp across the bay where Ray and Emma reconcile. An American flag unfurls over the damaged Golden Gate Bridge symbolizing hope as rescue operations commence throughout the devastated San Francisco Bay Area, now isolated due to seismic destruction stretching from San Jose to Santa Cruz.

Development

On December 1, 2011, New Line Cinema announced plans to develop an earthquake disaster film titled San Andreas: 3D, based on a script by Jeremy Passmore and Andre Fabrizio; Allan Loeb later refined the screenplay. By June 5, 2012, Brad Peyton was attached as director. Carlton Cuse was hired on July 18, 2012, to rewrite the script. A year later, writers Carey Hayes and Chad Hayes of The Conjuring fame were brought in for additional rewrites. The film was produced through collaborations between New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures, Flynn Picture Company, and Australian-based Village Roadshow.

Casting

On October 14, 2013, Dwayne Johnson was cast in the principal role of a helicopter pilot on a mission to find his daughter following a massive earthquake. Alexandra Daddario became part of the ensemble on February 4, 2014. Carla Gugino joined the project on March 12, reuniting with Johnson after their collaborations in Race to Witch Mountain and Faster. Two days later, on March 14, Art Parkinson, known for his role in Game of Thrones, was added to the cast. Archie Panjabi signed on April 1, with Todd Williams following on April 5 to portray Marcus Crowlings, an Army acquaintance of Johnson’s character. Colton Haynes was brought on board on April 15. Ioan Gruffudd joined the cast on April 29 as Daniel Reddick, a prosperous real estate mogul involved with Johnson’s character’s estranged spouse. On May 28, Will Yun Lee was cast as Dr. Kim Park, co-leader of the Caltech Seismology Laboratory. Australian singer and actress Kylie Minogue was announced on June 11 to play Gruffudd’s character’s sister.

Filming

On December 17, 2013, Variety revealed that production would take place at Village Roadshow Studios located in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Filming commenced in April 2014 at multiple Queensland sites including Ipswich, various suburbs within the Gold Coast area, and Brisbane. It was confirmed on March 20, 2014, that while Gods of Egypt had already begun shooting in Australia, San Andreas was set to start shortly thereafter. On April 16, Johnson posted images showcasing his rigorous training regimen for the film.

Principal photography officially began on April 22, 2014, predominantly in Australia with supplementary scenes filmed in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, and San Francisco. On May 12, shooting took place within the Lockyer Valley region. After a brief stint filming in Los Angeles from May 10 to 11, production resumed in Australia. While Johnson worked on the Gold Coast, second unit filming occurred in Bakersfield on May 17. Disaster sequences were captured on June 22 along Elizabeth Street in Brisbane.

The second unit started filming in San Francisco on July 8; the primary unit followed from July 21 through July 27. Scenes were shot at Fisherman's Wharf between July 15 and 16, with additional second unit footage recorded along the Embarcadero on July 16. On July 21, filming took place at AT&T Park during a San Francisco Giants baseball game. Earthquake disaster scenes featuring staged casualties were filmed on July 22 at Hyde and Lombard Streets. Further sequences depicting destruction were shot at the San Francisco Armory on July 23. Filming near the Fairmont San Francisco occurred on July 26, with concluding scenes captured along California Street in the Financial District, marking the end of principal photography on July 27.

Visual effects

The visual effects work was executed by Hydraulx, Cinesite, and Image Engine, under the direction of Greg and Colin Strause, Holger Voss, and Martyn Culpitt. Additional assistance was provided by Scanline VFX and Method Studios.

Music

On July 24, 2014, it was confirmed that Andrew Lockington would compose the film’s score. Promotional teasers showcased performances of "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas, rendered by Robot Koch & Delhia de France alongside Sia.

Release

San Andreas had its world premiere on May 26, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Originally scheduled for a June 5, 2015 release in both 2D and 3D, Warner Bros. moved the date forward to May 29. This release marked Warner Bros. Pictures' inaugural film presented in Dolby Vision, emphasizing the studio’s dedication to cutting-edge cinematic technology.

Home media

The film became available for digital download as well as on Blu-ray and DVD on October 13, 2015. During its first week of home media availability in the U.S., it led the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart for overall disc sales and ranked second on the Blu-ray sales chart. Blu-ray accounted for 40% of total sales—a comparatively modest proportion given the film’s extensive special effects. The Diamond Edition Blu-ray of Disney's 1992 animated classic Aladdin outperformed it in sales. By 2016, San Andreas was also released on 4K UHD Blu-ray.

Box office

Worldwide, San Andreas amassed $155.2 million in the U.S. and Canada, with an additional $319.4 million from international markets, culminating in a total of $475 million globally. According to Deadline Hollywood, after deducting production expenses, marketing costs, talent participations, and other fees, the film's net profit was estimated at $88.07 million. This achievement positioned it eighteenth on their 2015 "Most Valuable Blockbusters" ranking. As of July 2022, it remains the top-grossing original live-action Hollywood film over the past seven years.

North America

The movie debuted in 3,777 theaters across North America, including 3,200 equipped for 3D screenings. Pre-release projections anticipated an opening exceeding $40 million. It garnered $3.1 million from Thursday night previews and $18.2 million on its first day. The opening weekend total reached $54.5 million, surpassing expectations and marking Dwayne Johnson's highest-grossing lead debut—outperforming his 2002 The Scorpion King opening even when adjusted for inflation. Warner Bros.’ distribution head Dan Fellman credited this success to audiences’ sustained enthusiasm for disaster films, the movie’s originality, and strong ensemble chemistry. In its second weekend, San Andreas experienced a 52% decline to an estimated $26.4 million, placing second behind Spy, with a drop smaller than typical for disaster genre films.

Outside North America

Internationally, San Andreas premiered simultaneously in 60 countries during its opening weekend, including major markets like France, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Australia. It launched in four countries on May 27, expanded to 38 countries by May 28, and added another 18 on May 29. Over a five-day span ending May 31, it earned $63.9 million from 15,420 screens worldwide, securing first place at the box office in 55 countries and leading global international earnings. The following weekend brought an additional $97.7 million internationally, maintaining its hold atop overseas box offices for two consecutive weekends before being overtaken by Jurassic World in its third.

In Mexico, it recorded the largest disaster movie debut ever and Warner Bros.’ second-highest opening with $10.1 million across 3,100 screens. China saw a three-day opening of $35 million and a six-day cumulative total of $51.8 million from 8,795 screens; some analysts reported figures reaching up to $55 million. Despite concerns about MERS affecting theater attendance in South Korea, the film opened there with $7.2 million and topped the local box office.

Other significant openings included $7.2 million across the UK, Ireland, and Malta; $5.3 million in Russia and CIS territories; $3.2 million in Brazil; $3.1 million in France; $2.5 million in India; $2.4 million in Australia; $2.2 million in Hong Kong; and $2 million in Germany. The film became Warner Bros.' highest-grossing release ever in Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela while ranking fourth highest in China as of June 28, 2015. Its largest international revenue sources were China ($103.2 million) followed by Mexico ($28.4 million).

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an approval rating based on reviews, with an average score of . The site's critical consensus remarks, "San Andreas features a talented cast and impressive visual effects, yet beneath the overwhelming destruction, the storyline and characters lack structural integrity." On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 43 out of 100 from 42 critics, reflecting "mixed or average reviews." Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in an average grade of "A−."

IGN awarded the film a 7.5 out of 10, commenting, "Though there are some flaws in its foundation, San Andreas delivers solid entertainment thanks to striking visuals and Dwayne Johnson’s performance."

Andrew Barker of Variety stated that the film fulfills its promise by showcasing extensive CGI devastation across California, anchored by Johnson’s star power. Andrew O'Hehir from Salon described it as a compelling spectacle and a distinctive take on near-future apocalypse storytelling. Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly referred to it as "a burst of exuberant, disposable fun," despite its scientific liberties. Mick LaSalle from The San Francisco Chronicle observed that while the movie is easy to ridicule, it remains difficult to turn away from.

The American Geosciences Institute’s Earth Magazine criticized the film as "terrible" for its geological inaccuracies, emphasizing that the nearby Hayward Fault Zone, rather than the San Andreas Fault, presents a more significant seismic risk to the Bay Area due to its closer proximity to heavily populated urban centers. Although a full rupture along the Cascadia Subduction Zone would represent the most catastrophic U.S. earthquake event, damage from an earthquake on the Hayward Fault could be lessened through retrofitting efforts and stricter enforcement of seismic building regulations.

Accolades

During the 2015 Teen Choice Awards, San Andreas received a nomination for Choice Movie: Action. Both Daddario and Johnson were nominated for Choice Movie Actress: Action and Choice Summer Movie Star: Male categories respectively. Additionally, the film garnered nominations at the 14th Visual Effects Society Awards for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature, two nods for Outstanding Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature, and Outstanding Compositing. At the 2016 MTV Movie Awards, Johnson was recognized with nominations for Best Action Performance and Best Hero.

Sequel

In February 2016, New Line announced plans to develop a sequel centered around the Ring of Fire. Screenwriters Neil Widener and Gavin James were brought on board, with Brad Peyton returning as director and Beau Flynn as producer. Dwayne Johnson was confirmed to reprise his role, alongside expected returns from Gugino, Daddario, and Giamatti. Both Johnson and Peyton were slated to serve as producers. However, by July 2021, Daddario expressed uncertainty regarding the sequel’s advancement.

In November 2021, Johnson affirmed that development was ongoing but production was delayed due to scheduling conflicts. He likened the project’s status to having the "Moses Effect," indicating it took precedence over other films. By December 2021, producer Hiram Garcia mentioned Warner Bros. Pictures maintained interest in a follow-up, although Seven Bucks Productions deferred progress to concentrate on alternative projects.

External links

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