The Big Picture

  • Afterburn features a star-studded cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Bautista, and Olga Kurylenko in a dystopian world.
  • Adapted from Red 5 Comics, Afterburn follows a story of Jake recovering the Mona Lisa with the help of Drea in a post-apocalyptic setting.
  • Hollywood continues to explore dystopian themes in film, tapping into audience fears and anxieties about the future in society.

Filming for the upcoming action movie, Afterburn, has commenced. Per Variety, the film will star Samuel L. Jackson, Dave Bautista, Olga Kurylenko, and Kristofer Hivju. Helmed by J.J. Perry, the film follows a story that takes place in a dystopian world caused by a solar flare. Bautista plays Jake, who is hired to steal old, coveted objects from the before times. His newest task is to recover the Mona Lisa with the help of a freedom fighter named Drea (Kurylenko).

Afterburn is an adaptation of the book from Red 5 Comics. The book was written by Scott Chitwood and Paul Ens, with art by Wayne Nichols. The comic series follows Jake as he traverses the new earth and encounters villains and mutants alike. If there is a cast that is best suited for this type of fare, it is this one. Marvel actors Jackson, Bautista, and Kurylenko are no strangers to action-driven fare but are still not resting on their laurels. After news of Kurylenko’s return as Taskmaster in Thunderbolts*, she continues adding to her credits. Similarly, Hivju has experience in the action realm. He gained household stardom as Tormund Giantsbane in HBO’s powerhouse, Game of Thrones, while appearing briefly in Netflix’s The Witcher. All and all, this cast seems to be shaping up in the action-adventure.

'Afterburn' Is Another Dystopian Venture For Studios

The subject matter is par for the course for Hollywood IPs. Dystopian and desolate landscapes have grabbed the attention of viewers. Adapted content is an easy sell for studios, who appreciate an already established fanbase coming in to watch the film. Apocalyptic features also have a history of success. In addition to popular wasteland video game adaptations such as The Last of Us and Borderlands finding traction, other franchises continue to have a platform. A prequel to the apocalypse-driven film The Book of Eli has been greenlit with John Boyega starring. George Miller’s Mad Max series seems more relevant than ever and has finally yielded the Furiosa film that fans have been waiting for. The one thing that all these films have in common is a fear of the future. Sci-fi films function as a mirror holding up to society. Anxiety about where the world is going has permeated the culture, and art is reflective of that.

Afterburn is currently in production, and fans can continue to follow Collider for all updates on the film.