Written by Shona Smith on Jul 26, 2018. Posted in General Interest / On Location / Production News

Mamma Mia! sequel uproots to film in Croatia

Ten years on, Universal's sequel to the 2008 hit Mamma Mia!,  Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again decided to relocate filming to the Croatian Island of Vis.

The 2008 musical film is set on an idyllic Greek island and follows Amanda Seyfried as a young bride-to-be trying to discern who her real father is. The sequel, released today, is set on the same Greek island but producers moved filming from Skopelos in Greece to Vis, a Croatian island off the Dalmatian coast.

Due to its diversity a number of recent productions have used Croatian backdrops as location doubles. Netflix’s Ibiza (2018) used the island of Pag to double for the notorious party island, and ABC’s series The Terror (2018) also used Pag in lieu of the Arctic NorthWest Passage.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is the first major production to capitalize on the variety of backdrops that Viz offers. Large scale dance pieces were shot in Komiža harbour and filming also took place in the nearby Biševo caves.  Until 1989, the island was a military base closed to tourists. For this reason, Viz has managed to keep its rugged coastline intact. No cruise ships dock on the island because it is not too developed as a tourist destination.

However, Vis’s isolated beauty created some logistical complications for the production. In comparison to the neighbouring island of Hvar, which hosts 30,000 beds, Vis only has 3,000. The problem of housing the 150 crew members was overcome by planning the shoot for the end of the tourist season. 

During the 5 week shoot, Director Ol Parker noted that “We got everything we needed from the Croatian film industry workers. We were impressed with their speed and their professionalism…We received all necessary resources and support in a very short time”. The production used Zagreb based Pakt Media as the servicing producer while filming on location.

Croatia has managed to lure big-budget productions such as Game of Thrones and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again to the country by creating a film-friendly infrastructure and offering a 20% cash rebate. There are three Film Commissions in Croatia based in Zadar, Istria and Kvarner who approve applications.

Having lost out on the Mamma Mia! sequel, Greece have since introduced a 25% cash rebate on any production under EUR5 Million.