Mickey Rourke’s upcoming film Warhunt has finished shooting after it refused to close down amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The film, which was shot in Latvia’s capital of Riga, had to abide by local regulations, even as it ignored almost every Hollywood production’s choice to shut down.
‘I came to Riga to work and this thing (Covid-19) was so out of control, but everyone was so great,’ Rourke, 67, told Variety.
Reckless: Warhunt, a horror-thriller starring Mickey Rourke, 67, has wrapped production in Latvia after continuing to shoot amid the coronavirus pandemic; still from Warhunt
According to producer Yu-Fai Suen, who runs London’s Berkeley Media Group, the actors schedule had to be switched around so that he wouldn’t be stuck in Latvia amid travel restrictions.
‘We had to rearrange the schedule for Mickey Rourke as the country was closing its borders, and luckily he agreed to fly early to beat the closure, and we rescheduled his shoot days to accommodate this change.’
Though Rourke was able to leave the country early, it’s not clear how many other American citizens or citizens of other countries were working on the production, and whether they were also able to finish their work before being locked in the Northern European country.
In addition to the Wrestler star, Warhunt features Twin Peaks: The Return’s Robert Knepper and Twilight’s Jackson Rathbone.
The film concerns a squad of highly qualified soldiers who become trapped behind enemy lines in Germany’s Black Forest while on a covert mission during the Second World War. The find it’s not just Nazis they have to deal with, but also a coven of witches.
Flexible: ‘We had to rearrange the schedule for Mickey Rourke as the country was closing its borders,’ said producer Yu-Fai Suen. It’s unclear if all cast and crew made it out before Latvia’s borders were closed; shown in 2018
In order to continue film, the Warhunt production had to ensure that crew members wore masks and gloves and had their temperatures checked twice a day.
The set also had to be regularly sanitized and the cast and crew were required to maintain social distancing, though it’s unknown if the cast were prevented from getting too close during their scenes.
‘There were additional procedures on set, but it quickly became the norm and everyone got on with it,’ Suen continued.
‘For makeup, each actor had a dedicated kit so makeup artists used only the same brushes, makeup etc. on the same actor. All makeup artists, of course, wore facemasks when applying makeup.’
Safety first? In order to continue film, the Warhunt production had to ensure that crew members wore masks and gloves and had their temperatures checked twice a day; shown in September
There’s a good chance of more non-essential productions working in Latvia, as the producer said the government had given him permission to shoot more film and television projects as long as they adhered to the same safety procedures.
Warhunt was directed by Italian Mauro Borrelli, who previously worked in the art department on Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the first Captain America film and two of the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies.
‘It was surreal at the beginning,’ he said, ‘but the cast and crew quickly adjusted to the masks and other precautions, so we ended up even more focused and efficient.’
More to come: Rourke has a busy slate of upcoming films, including the thrillers Adverse and Girl, though it’s unclear when they’ll be release as the pandemic continues to rage; shown in August
Rourke has a busy slate of upcoming films in addition to his wartime horror–thriller.
He’ll be featured in the crime film Adverse alongside The Lord Of The Rings’ Sean Astin and Lou Diamond Phillips, and his action–adventure film The Legion has already been completed.
The Sin City star will appear opposite Bella Thorne in the revenge thriller Girl, which is already in post-production, though a release date hasn’t been announced yet.