Written by Shona Smith on Apr 17, 2019. Posted in Production News

Action sequel The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard doubling Croatia for Italy

Lionsgate’s sequel to 2017’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard (pictured) is currently shooting Croatia as Italy. Production is centred in northern Croatia for the forty-nine-day shoot which is expected to wrap in late May.

The Croatian portion of the shoot began in Rovinj, a port city on the Istrian Peninsula in the northern Adriatic. Other locations to be utilised include the capital Zagreb, an inland city of Karlovac and the port city of Rijeka whose old town has Habsburg-era buildings. These locations are doubling for Italy, unspecified Mediterranean settings as well as Croatia itself.

The film is one of Croatia’s largest productions to date, employing over 220 film professionals as well as 760 extras. The project has applied for the Croatian Film Tax Incentive Programme which necessitate productions to pass a cultural test and utilise the local industry workforce.

Successful films and TV series can enjoy a 25-30% cash rebate on work in Croatia, based on the cost of Croatian cast and crew as well as goods and services purchased. The 5% uplift applies to films working in undeveloped regions.

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard will see Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Green Lantern), Samuel L. Jackson (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Kong: Skull Island) and Salma Hayek (30 Rock, As Luck Would Have It) reprise their roles in the franchise. Centring on bodyguard Michael Bryce (Reynolds) who, having lost his professional license goes on a trip in search of a “spiritual awakening”, finds himself caught up in an operation to save his former hitman boss Darius Kincaid (Jackson) at the request of Kincaid’s wife (Hayek). Together they are coerced into another mission surrounding a mysterious attack threatening to destroy the whole of Europe.

The scope of the original, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, was equally as international as its successor. Principal production took place in London while scenes were shot over a three week shoot in Amsterdam and supplementary elements were captured in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Lionsgate previously shot Croatia, using Dubrovnik’s old city for the city of Nottingham in 2018's Robin Hood (pictured right). Other high profile shoots to have taken place in Croatia include Mamma Mia 2 on the island of Vis.