Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds and director Michael Bay have arrived in the UAE to kick off 30 days of shooting for their upcoming action thriller, 6 Underground. There’s even a couple of pictures from set to prove it.
The upcoming film, which comes from the writers of Reynold’s largely successful anti-hero franchise, Deadpool, is a Skydance Media production set to be distributed on Netflix. It’s been reported as the streaming service’s most expensive film to date.
A cast and crew of over 300 people will shoot in the UAE for a month at four locations, including the Liwa desert, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. They will work closely with local production house twofour54 throughout.
Aside from Reynolds, 6 Underground is set to star British up-and-comer Ben Hardy, recently seen as drummer Roger Taylor in Bohemian Rhapsody, and Dave Franco, whose most recent credits include If Beale Street Could Talk and 6 Balloons, also distributed by Netflix.
Reynolds Talks Abu Dhabi
Reynolds said the UAE shoot — which comes on the heels of the film shooting in Italy — would be one of the highlights of the production, but the Canadian actor couldn’t divulge details.
“You’ll have to wait until the movie hits Netflix to find out why. We’ve only been here a few days so far, but the welcome from everyone has been amazing and I can’t wait to explore Abu Dhabi more,” he said in a statement, released by twofour54.
Abu Dhabi has become a hotbed for Hollywood productions. Recent shoots include Mission: Impossible — Fallout, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Furious 7 and Netflix’s Brad Pitt film, War Machine.
6 Underground will be the latest movie to reap the benefits of Abu Dhabi Film Commission’s 30 per cent rebate on production spend.
Director Bay called it ‘a unique place to make a movie, with a lot of great looks’.
“It’s got the diversity and architecture I need in front of the camera — plus the professional facilities, crew and infrastructure to back it up. I’m very excited to be shooting here over the next few weeks,” said the filmmaker, known for a diverse body of work that includes Bad Boys, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and the Transformers franchise.
Rumours Confirmed
Rumours of Bay and Reynolds shooting in the UAE had been circulating for months. Miranda Davidson Studios (MDS), the go-to casting studio for Hollywood films shooting in the UAE, sent out an email in September seeking actors for an unspecified feature film, with all arrows pointing to 6 Underground.
The film will be Netflix’s most costly film to date, with a budget of $150 million (Dh396.84 million), according to Deadline.
Details of the movie’s plot aren’t readily available, but according to reports, it will follow six billionaires who fake their own deaths in order to anonymously fight crime.
A tweet from Reynolds suggests that the film will be action-packed. The social media jokester posted a video of himself speaking to camera, unfazed, while a car chase took place behind him, resulting in a fiery vehicle being flung into the air. Meanwhile, a deadpan Reynold’s continued to speak.
“Best part about shooting with Michael Bay? I don’t know, a lot of people would say the action, but for me it’s the stillness, you know? It’s those quiet moments,” he said, before his voice got lost in the background commotion.
A release date has not yeah been announced, though the film is tentatively scheduled for a 2019 premiere.
