The Electric State
Sci-fi tentpole from the Russo Brothers set in a post-apocalyptic America and based on the haunting graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag
On The Electric State, I had the opportunity to once again work under the visionary mentorship of production designer Dennis Gassner, continuing our creative collaboration from The Gray Man. Dennis often entrusts me with what he calls the “jewel-box moments”—compact yet pivotal sequences that carry significant emotional or narrative weight.
For this film, that moment was the design and realization of a haunting, deserted amusement park—a surreal turning point in the journey of our protagonists. Working with a talented team of set designers, I conceptualized and executed a vacant amusement park landscape where our heroes land after being mysteriously summoned to find the one person who might alter their fate.
Every ride and structure was intentionally placed to guide the viewer’s eye—and the characters—toward a derelict house of horrors. The aesthetic walked the line between nostalgic Americana and dystopian decay. The build included layered textures, integrated practical effects, and an evolving color story. From concept through final detailing, I oversaw every aspect to ensure emotional weight and visual scale.
Gallery
Stills
Happyland’s color story is engineered as a slow build of dread: a theme park that reads as joy on arrival and curdles, act by act, into a haunted house the characters can’t tell they’ve entered. Nostalgic Americana and dystopian decay share every frame, so the park never announces its menace — it just stops pretending to be fun.
