When I first heard the plot synopsis for Skyscraper (“a towering inferno almost a mile into the sky and my wife and kids are trapped on the top floor ... [about an] every day man and woman who, despite all odds, will dig deep and do everything possible to protect and save their family”), it sounded a lot like Dwayne Johnson trying to make himself a Die Hard mixed with a disaster movie (a genre he found big success in with San Andreas). And based on the pictures coming from the set of the film, they are leaning into the Die Hard parallels hard.

Look, for example, at this behind-the-scenes video of Johnson in costume. His clothes are a tattered mess, he’s got a big loop of rope over his shoulder, and duct tape is wrapped around his hands as makeshift gloves:

The rope evokes the hose that Bruce Willis’ John McClane used to leap off the top of Nakatomi Plaza, and the clever use of duct tape recalls how McClane eventually beat the evil Hans Gruber by duct taping his gun to his back. Here’s a picture of the same sequence:

Here’s one more nice picture for you, of Johnson (before his character gets his clothes shredded to McClanian ribbons) doing a stunt conference with his team:

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

Global icon Dwayne Johnson leads the cast of Legendary’s Skyscraper as former FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader and U.S. war veteran Will Ford, who now assesses security for skyscrapers. On assignment in China he finds the tallest, safest building in the world suddenly ablaze, and he’s been framed for it. A wanted man on the run, Will must find those responsible, clear his name and somehow rescue his family who is trapped inside the building … above the fire line.

Go check out Johnson’s Instagram for many more pictures, including a heartwarming series with Johnson and a boy who saved his brother’s life from drowning using techniques he learned watching San Andreas. (I clearly was not paying enough attention during that movie.) Skyscraper opens in theaters on July 13, 2018.

More From Mix 97.9 FM