Blizzard Entertainment partnered with master painter Adam Miller to transform a french Cathedral ceiling into a Diablo IV themed gothic painting.

BEHIND THE SCENES – CATHEDRAL PAINTING

Diablo collaborates with master painter Adam Miller

The battle for the souls of Sanctuary reaches new heights! Celebrated artists transformed the ceiling of a deconsecrated cathedral in France with the demonic art of Diablo IV, the next installment in the genre-defining videogame series. The installation is part of a campaign with world-famous Baroque artist Adam Miller collaborating with MJZ director Henry Hobson, Game of Thrones’ Charles Dance, and Blizzard Entertainment to bring the central images and scenes of the game alive in a truly gothic setting.

DETAILS OF THE DEMONIC MASTERPIECE

  • The 160-foot mural is a conglomeration of 20 unique paintings covering the vintage ceiling and dome, along with a massive mural along the back wall. “This is a very unique project,” said Adam Miller, “It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to paint in a setting like this at this grand scale with figurative painting.” To accomplish it, Miller and his team painted on canvas before installing them in the cathedral to achieve the same look as iconic historic murals in the same vein as Caravaggio and Michelangelo.
  • Accompanying the installation is a filmed journey through the cathedral. Directed by Henry Hobson and voiced by Game of Thrones’ Charles Dance, the film is crafted to allow viewers to feel the space, the art, and the consequences of the battle itself. “ The unique world of Diablo is a great playground to inhabit as a director—creeping tension, dark, foreboding, framed by awe-inspiring artistic vision. Having Adam’s work to build from, the once-in-a-lifetime classical space ‘corrupted’ by Adam’s renaissance universe, adding layers of mystery and inferring the wider world as a battle rages within the space was utterly beguiling. After all, as a storyteller, what better place to play than within the canvas of a richly constructed video game world?” said Hobson. While the camera journeys along the walls, viewers can follow the five character classes from Diablo IV as they clash with the powers of evil in the ultimate struggle between Light and Darkness.

What’s more, a select group of lucky gamers will get the opportunity to be inserted into the art itself. Eligible gamers that jump into the Open Beta in March will have a chance to be selected and painted into their own scene as a Diablo hero battling Lilith’s evil. Each will then receive a video of Adam painting them into the art. To opt-in to the sweepstakes and read the full promotion rules, head over to here.

Players can join Diablo team members Rod Fergusson (General Manager), Joe Shely (Game Director), Daniela Rodriguez (Marketing Director), and Adam Fletcher (Community Lead) in a live Q&A session on Twitter Spaces later today to hear more about the Cathedral of Diablo and the upcoming Diablo IV Beta.

One of the most anticipated games of 2023, Diablo IV will be released on June 6. Open Beta is scheduled for March 24 – 26, 2023 PT, and those who pre-order get early access starting March 17 through March 19, 2023 PT.