Is the film Afterburn (2025) a comic representation? Details explored

Afterburn is a 2025 U.S. post-apocalyptic action movie inspired by the Red 5 Comics series by Scott Chitwood, Paul Ens, and Wayne Nichols. The movie is helmed by J.J. Perry and penned by Matt Johnson and Nimród Antal. The narrative unfolds ten years after a solar flare eradicated technology worldwide. Jake, portrayed by Dave Bautista, is a former soldier who has become a treasure hunter tasked with recovering priceless pre-flare artifacts, such as the Mona Lisa, before they are taken by the wrong people.

The movie features Dave Bautista, Samuel L. Jackson, Olga Kurylenko, and Kristofer Hivju. As reported by Deadline on February 6, 2024, producer Neal H. Moritz stated that the project had been under development since 2008, with several directors and actors associated before shooting commenced in 2024. Although the film is based on comic origins, its production as a live-action feature distinguishes it from a straightforward panel-style adaptation.

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Afterburn and its comic origins

Kristofer Hivju as Volkov leading his forces in Afterburn. (Image via Original Films)

The Afterburn comic series debuted in 2008 through Red 5 Comics. Written by Chitwood and Ens, with art by Nichols, the story follows treasure hunters venturing into the dangerous ruins of the Eastern Hemisphere after the solar disaster. Their clients, often powerful figures, commission them to recover iconic artifacts such as the Mona Lisa.

The 2025 film adapts this idea with Bautista as Jake, Kurylenko as Drea, a resistance fighter, and Jackson as Valentine, another fighter in the struggle. Kristofer Hivju portrays Volkov, a warlord after the same prize. While the comics included more fantastical elements like mutants, these were pared back for the film. Director J.J. Perry instead leaned into practical locations across Slovakia and highlighted stunt-driven sequences to give the story a tangible edge.

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How Afterburn translates to film?

Olga Kurylenko as Drea in Afterburn, preparing for a mission in a post-apocalyptic setting. (Image via Original Films)

The journey to the screen was extensive. The initial reports of an adaptation emerged in 2008, featuring Tobey Maguire as a co-producer. In subsequent years, names such as Gerard Butler and Antoine Fuqua were associated with the project. In 2018, Jung Byung-gil was briefly involved as director, but it was J.J. Perry who ultimately assumed control in 2024. Bautista not only starred in the film but also produced it via his company Dogbone Entertainment, collaborating with Neal H. Moritz from Original Film and Steve Richards from Endurance Media.

Shooting commenced in May 2024 in Bratislava, Slovakia, and concluded the next month. Cinematography was managed by José David Montero, editing was directed by Luke Dunkley, and Roque Baños created the musical score. In post-production, the film encountered financial conflicts when an arbitrator granted $7.7 million to Fourth Chance Productions regarding a funding dispute.

Afterburn premiered in certain U.S. cinemas on August 22, 2025, and had a broader launch on September 19, 2025, via Inaugural Entertainment. With a runtime of 106 minutes and a budget of $56.7 million, it serves as a live-action adaptation that takes inspiration from its comic origins while establishing its own film identity.