Three years after the Great Quake, Los Angeles faces an even deadlier threat—a mega-tsunami triggered by an undersea volcanic eruption. Rescue pilot Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson) races against time to save his ex-wife Emma (Carla Gugino) and daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) from a collapsing skyscraper in downtown L.A. Meanwhile, a second fault line ruptures along the Pacific Coast, splitting California in half. The film’s climax sees Ray piloting a cargo ship through the tsunami to evacuate survivors, while Blake uncovers a government cover-up about predictable but ignored seismic warnings. The movie ends with Ray and Emma reuniting on a makeshift raft as a new disaster looms on the horizon.
Budget & Production:
San Andreas 2 (2025) was made on a $200 million budget, nearly double the original’s cost, with Warner Bros. investing heavily in cutting-edge disaster CGI, IMAX-scale practical effects, and real-life stunt sequences. Directed by Brad Peyton, the film used massive water tanks, hydraulic sets, and drone cinematography to capture the apocalyptic scale of the tsunami and quakes. Dwayne Johnson performed many of his own stunts, including a helicopter rescue scene filmed over actual flood zones in Australia.
Release Date & Box Office:
The film premiered on May 23, 2025, strategically timed for summer blockbuster season. It opened with a 120milliondomesticweekend∗∗and∗∗120milliondomesticweekend∗∗and∗∗350 million globally, outperforming the original. By the end of its run, it had grossed $950 million worldwide, cementing its status as the highest-grossing disaster film of the decade.
Critical & Fan Reception:
Critics praised the “relentless, edge-of-your-seat action” (78% on Rotten Tomatoes) but noted the plot was “more spectacle than substance.” Audiences loved the family-driven stakes and Johnson’s charisma, though some called the science “laughably exaggerated.” The tsunami sequence, filmed in IMAX, became an instant cinematic landmark.
Merchandising & Legacy:
The film spawned video games, VR experiences, and a surge in earthquake preparedness kit sales. Warner Bros. fast-tracked a third installment and a spin-off TV series, San Andreas: Faultline. Despite mixed reviews, its box office dominance proved disaster movies are still king.
