Written by Tom Deehan on Feb 14, 2018. Posted in On Location / Production News

William Hurt’s The Coldest Game now filming in Warsaw

Principal photography is now underway for Łukasz Kośmicki’s The Coldest Game, with scenes being shot at the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. The Palace will become a central location for the film, playing host to a chess game between American and Russian players during the height of the Cold War.

Filming will continue until April, with the feature scheduled for a spring 2019 release. Produced by Watchout Studio, The Coldest Game will receive funding from the Polish Film Institute and Polish distribution from Next Film.

The film boasts an international cast including William Hurt, Lotte Verbeek, Aleksey Serebryakov, Robert Więckiewicz and Corey Johnson.

In discussing the plot, Kośmicki says: “the chess game, the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy and Secretary Khrushchev all existed. The Palace of Culture and Science still towers over the centre of Warsaw. By mixing facts and fiction, we hope that the emotions, as well as the intrigue between the two chess masters and intelligence agents from the two superpowers, will deliver unforgettable thrills to the audiences.”

The Palace of Culture and Science is one of Poland’s most iconic structures, having been constructed in 1955 as a gift from the Soviet Union. The building features Soviet-era architecture and a total of 3288 rooms spread over 42 floors.

With lower-than-average rates on goods and services, Poland has become a popular location for filmmakers who are looking to meet their bottom line. The country recently hosted filming for the international co-production, My Name is Sara, which utilised locations in Podlasie.