SKYSCRAPER 2: THE NEXT ASCENT

Skyscraper 2: The Next Ascent (2025) – Dwayne Johnson Returns for Another High-Stakes Rescue

The towering spectacle returns in Skyscraper 2: The Next Ascent, tentatively slated for a mid-2025 release. Building on the adrenaline-fueled formula of the 2018 original, Universal Pictures has reportedly tapped Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson once again to star as former FBI agent Will Sawyer, now rebranded as a world-class problem solver for extreme architectural threats.

According to early industry buzz, The Next Ascent lands Sawyer in a revolutionary “floating city”—SkyHaven—a solar-powered marvel anchored off the coast of Dubai. This megastructure, touted as the world’s largest man-made island, is unexpectedly seized by eco-terrorist extremists led by a fierce antagonist. Their plot: to trigger a catastrophic collapse that would plunge the city into the Persian Gulf, exposing the world’s susceptibility to rapid climate-tech disasters turn0search3.

Unlike the first film’s static setting, this sequel is primed for vertigo-inducing innovation. Teases hint at outsized action sequences—SkyHaven’s shifting platforms, solar array rapelling, helicopter boardings on glimmering glass atriums, and a harrowing sky-high parachute escape as the floating vessel plunges. Expect a blockbuster finale where Johnson’s Sawyer engages in a cagey knife duel at the precipice of a sinking tower, underscoring both family stakes and global stakes turn0search3.

Neve Campbell is set to reprise her role as Sawyer’s resilient wife, anchoring the emotional core amid spiraling danger. On the opposing side, fierce eco-activist Tom Hardy is rumored to portray the extremist mastermind—an ideal foil for Johnson’s steadfast hero. The interplay of Sawyer and Campbell adds urgency beyond spectacle, as their family becomes central to the plot’s tension.

Behind the scenes, director Rawson Marshall Thurber returns to steer the action, leaning into grounded stunt work and practical effects over CGI flourishes. The production reportedly recreates Dubai’s shimmering ocean vistas and futuristic cityscapes with immersive realism—pulling audiences into one of the most ambitious action settings yet.

While The Next Ascent is still officially unconfirmed, its existence reflects a larger trend: studios revisiting mid-budget blockbusters with theater-to-streaming potential. Johnson’s attachment—combined with SkyHaven’s concept—suggests that the sequel aims to deliver franchise-level entertainment without pretense. Some fans on Reddit already compare it to a modern-day Die Hard, noting that a sequel makes sense given the streaming-era surge of interest in the original film turn0reddit12.

If it goes ahead, Skyscraper 2: The Next Ascent has the potential to be a highlight of 2025’s summer action slate. With high-rise drama, eco-terrorist stakes, and family-driven stakes atop a floating fortress, it promises the same tension and heart audiences expect from a Johnson headline vehicle. If early production rumors pan out, Sawyer's next climb might be his most waging battle yet—against more than just fire and falling glass, but against humanity’s overreach into technological ambition.